Monday
The day started at the Federal Police. I walked in at 7:30 in the morning and walked out at 4:30 pm. Holy cow. However, two different guys asked me for my number/ on a date while I was there, which was quite flattering.
--later on---
Cristian, Renata, and I walked through the rain soaked streets of Rio de Janeiro at two in the morning, sidestepping puddles and holding hands.
“Did you know that Rio was just voted the happiest city in the world?” Cristian asked. Renata and I replied that we didn’t, but that we weren’t surprised. I looked at the three of us, walking through this amazing city, drenched from head to toe, and I knew that it must be true.
Later I caught a cab and conversed with the driver only in Portuguese. We talked about Brazil and Colorado and whether Argentines really are bad people. He told me (in Portuguese) that at that moment it was close to 2:30 in the morning, and that he loved his job driving people at night, and that he was extremely happy with his life. It made me happy. When I got home he waited for me to make it inside (the mark of a good cab driver) and we waved goodbye.
Tuesday (Mexican Independence Day)
It was one in the morning. Josu stood on the countertop and yelled in Spanish about the greatness of Mexico. After he finished a point we would all yell, “Viva!” I was one of just three people at the party who wasn’t fluent in Spanish, but I could understand completely the electricity flowing through the room. Finally he yelled one final phrase and every single person in the room (there were about 20) yelled as loudly as they possibly could.
“VIVA MEXICO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
An hour later finds us at a bar in Ipanema. We are all chatting with a homeless man who we adopted when we gave him some of our cachaca (which is a kind of alcohol here), and he became an instant friend.
(Cristian and the homeless man)
He was giving my friend safety tips in Portuguese when Cristian asked me to dance.
Before you get any ideas- Cristian is just a friend and nothing more. But let me tell you American ladies- there is nothing quite like dancing with a Latino. I have never danced with a lover the way we danced that night- noses touching, looking into each other’s eyes, pushing away only to pull back even closer- it was the most fun I have had in a long time, and that is saying something. We sang all the American songs on the top of our lungs (he is fluent in English, having family in Canada) and danced and danced and danced. There were many moments where I was so overcome with mirth that I laughed aloud with happiness.
(The Group)
Wednesday
We went over to the Spanish students’ apartment and watched “Tropa de Elite”, a Brazilian movie about the corruption in the police here in Rio. It was good. Continuing with the theme of the week, I did not get home until about 2 or 3 in the morning.
The day started at the Federal Police. I walked in at 7:30 in the morning and walked out at 4:30 pm. Holy cow. However, two different guys asked me for my number/ on a date while I was there, which was quite flattering.
--later on---
Cristian, Renata, and I walked through the rain soaked streets of Rio de Janeiro at two in the morning, sidestepping puddles and holding hands.
“Did you know that Rio was just voted the happiest city in the world?” Cristian asked. Renata and I replied that we didn’t, but that we weren’t surprised. I looked at the three of us, walking through this amazing city, drenched from head to toe, and I knew that it must be true.
Later I caught a cab and conversed with the driver only in Portuguese. We talked about Brazil and Colorado and whether Argentines really are bad people. He told me (in Portuguese) that at that moment it was close to 2:30 in the morning, and that he loved his job driving people at night, and that he was extremely happy with his life. It made me happy. When I got home he waited for me to make it inside (the mark of a good cab driver) and we waved goodbye.
Tuesday (Mexican Independence Day)
It was one in the morning. Josu stood on the countertop and yelled in Spanish about the greatness of Mexico. After he finished a point we would all yell, “Viva!” I was one of just three people at the party who wasn’t fluent in Spanish, but I could understand completely the electricity flowing through the room. Finally he yelled one final phrase and every single person in the room (there were about 20) yelled as loudly as they possibly could.
“VIVA MEXICO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
An hour later finds us at a bar in Ipanema. We are all chatting with a homeless man who we adopted when we gave him some of our cachaca (which is a kind of alcohol here), and he became an instant friend.
(Cristian and the homeless man)
He was giving my friend safety tips in Portuguese when Cristian asked me to dance.
Before you get any ideas- Cristian is just a friend and nothing more. But let me tell you American ladies- there is nothing quite like dancing with a Latino. I have never danced with a lover the way we danced that night- noses touching, looking into each other’s eyes, pushing away only to pull back even closer- it was the most fun I have had in a long time, and that is saying something. We sang all the American songs on the top of our lungs (he is fluent in English, having family in Canada) and danced and danced and danced. There were many moments where I was so overcome with mirth that I laughed aloud with happiness.
(The Group)
Wednesday
We went over to the Spanish students’ apartment and watched “Tropa de Elite”, a Brazilian movie about the corruption in the police here in Rio. It was good. Continuing with the theme of the week, I did not get home until about 2 or 3 in the morning.
So... are they going to let you stay in Brazil?
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