Here is the post I promised about all things cultural! In an attempt to strip this post of any boredom-inducing paragraphs, I will break up topics in sections and use bullet points instead.
Quick Guide to Portuguese: some random words that end up coming quite in handy!
Portuguese is similar to Spanish in many regards. In my opinion, there are three distinct differences in terms of phonemic pronunciations. For one, a "r" is pronounced with a "h". Also, a "d" in the middle of a word is expressed with a "g" sound. Lastly, "t" sounds like "c". This makes for interesting pronunciations for some of my students. For example, Arthur sounds like "Ah-two"; Victor is pronounced "Vee-toe".
- Obrigada/o Thank you (instead of choosing gender based on subject, it is chosen based on who you are. So, for example, as a female, I solely use "a" at the end)
- Bom Dia Good Morning
- Pousada Hotel
- Onde Where?
- Desculpe Sorry
- Beleza Cool
- Voce You
- Tenho have (in terms of age)
- Pare, agora Stop, now (comes in handy in the classroom!)
- Pastel An empanada-like pastry snack
- Oi Hi
- Sim Yes
- Como te chamas? What are you called?
- Vermelho Red
- Bom Good
- Forte Strong (foe-chay)
- Tchau Goodbye
Factoids and Interesting Aspects of Bahia Culture
- A popular street snack is fried tapioca balls (similar to Indian bhel puri) filled with shrimp and an orange, grainy ragu.
- Farofa is a flour-like powder that is used during almost every meal to add texture to curries, grilled and salted meats and rice (Pictured).
- Chillies here are super hot! At every meal, a pico de gallo filled with these hotties is offered.
- In Brazil, the "A-ok" sign means something entirely different. Let's just say that the sign and the middle finger are good friends!
- In addition to the ever-so-popular samba, capoeira is the main dance of Bahia. The dance combines rhythmic samba and salsa with tae kwon do-like moves. The choreography is choppy, yet graceful at times.
- There is a misconception about Africans coming to Brazil and settling. Slaves were not the first inhabitants here. Instead, African explorers were the first to arrive. Centuries later, Salvador is the center of Afro-Brazilian culture.
- Tuesday's and Saturday's are big in Salvador--especially in regards to live music. Usually on Tuesdays, we visit Pelhorino and eat and drink from local vendors in the square by the church. We then attempt to samba our way to the front of the stage. On the weekend, we enjoy chill-axing at "The Red River" (Rio Vermelho).
- Another common snack, usually sold on the beach, is cheese on a stick. It kind of looks weird though, like a bit spongy and the color of a milky, washed out yellow. It is heated on the spot upon hot charcoal. Have yet to try it...
- An amazing cheese in Brazil is called catupiry. I would say it is a combination of alouette, cream creese, and goat cheese. A really nice local pizza place offers this, accompanied with green olives and palm hearts on a thin crust. Muito (very) amazing!
- Caipirinha is to Brazil as Mojito is to Cuba. This drink of sweet goodness has very simple ingredients: Cachaca (rum), muddled lime, and sugar. It is my new favorite drink! Replacing the rum with vodka gives it a smoother taste (Caipiroska).
- Elevador Lacerda connects the two main sections of the city, Cidade Alta (Upper City) and Cidade Baixa (lower city). The view from the top is incredible!
- Farol da Barra Lighthouse is a mere 10 minutes from my house. The sunset from the hill where it sits upon is exquisite!
- Salads here love to feature beets, cooked carrots, and green beans. It's delicious and refreshing!
- Acai is ultra popular here! Matched with various fruit syrups and sugared granola, it is a healthy dessert treat. It can be compared to the popularity of fro yo in the U.S.
Delightful Destinations around Salvador
Praia de Forte
All turtle reserves make me think of is Dana Carey in one of my fave flicks, Master of Disguise! This place is a charming village dotted along the beach. It is hugely commercial but in all the right ways. Areas that look like baby pools are home to all sorts of turtles and tortoises. Whale watching is also an option here. I had probably the second best fish I have ever tried, ever. Digging into it on the beach where it was procured by fishermen helped make the little guy more amazing. Accompanied with lime (limao), garlic (alho), olive oil, and sea salt (sal) and combined with the spicy pico de gallo aforementioned....this was a 1st-rate meal (and it showed in the bill, unfortunately!).
Morro de Sao Paulo
This island is incredible and should definitely be an item on any traveler's bucket list! A quaint and spirited beach town, the destination is home to several beaches. Fresh seafood is ubiquitous, as is adventurous activities such as ziplining, banana boating, and diving. Hotels are everywhere and are fairly inexpensive. However, the 3 hour boat ride from and to Salvador is deadly--and pricey! I made up a new adage: no nausea, no island!
Everyday Entertainment
So as aforementioned in an earlier post, I am here with an awesome group of people. Because there is a mish-mosh of so many personality traits, we never go a day bored. The two Jacks' 18-year-old selves are rubbing off on us, senior citizens. Polo's constant optimism inspires us to live in the moment (#beleza). Talia's smoky, soulful voice serenades us everytime and we can't help but urge her to start a music career. Jack Weber's rendition of Outkast's Hey Ya is haunting and we love to join in. Anderson's obsession with the number 43 (hence, the newly-inked tattoo on his wrist) causes all of us to seek out the magic number (so far, we've encountered a disco club and a Brazilian whiskey!). Tyler and Hannah's daily runs makes us envious, while Aksana's artistic brilliance puts us all to shame. Kelsey's laugh is so contagious, putting a smile on everyone's face! As for me, I think I am the goofy one in the group--and I think I'm ok with that!
Here are a few things that we do everyday in our free time:
1. Ice cream down the street
2. Visits to the mercatto to relish mini-pastries
3. Walks down to the beach (day and night!)
4. Watching the sunset at the French's school cafe!
5. Zumba classes....by Arlene!
6. Samba and capoeira classes
7. Movies (MAGIC MIKE IN PORTUGUESE. GOLDEN.)
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| Yes, of course this is an excuse to show off my future hubby, as bad boy and saucy as he is! |
8. Painting murals on our homebase walls
9. Watching Dexter...OBSESSIVELY (often we get in fights because one of us [cough, cough Timmer] will watch episodes without the other, skewing the whole plan to follow the show together....meanie!)
10. Attempting to watch Meet Joe Black and not get distracted by 1. other convos in the room 2. Brad Pitt's beauty 3. the fact that Anthony Hopkins looks like Frank Sinatra's twin! (Next time I watch will be Attempt 3)
11. Getting sarongs near the light house
12. Jamming to samba and sipping caipirinhas in Pelorinho
13. Going to La Barra, the local mall
14. Taking Portuguese classes
15. Catching up on Bachelorette/Bachelor Pad/Pretty Little Liars/Baby Daddy while chilling on the hammock
16. Visiting CAASAH, a home for patients with HIV and AIDs. Makes you SO grateful for the health God has given you!
17. Jam sessions....ER' DAY, ER' DAY.....WHAT ANYBODY SAY....YO...WHATUP (Yeah, Drake, that's OUR motto.) We love singing and arranging to The Beatles, Ingrid Michaelson, Don Mclean, and Amos Lee!
18. Girl talks (no. boys. allowed. obvi.) with Hannah and Talia!
Ok, that's it for now! It's hard for me to remember everything I want to say...I have unfortunately not been writing in a daily journal.
Hope everyone at home is doing well!
Muito love!
Arlene
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