Days of the Week- Part 2

Thursday

Luis (Torrez, a chicano who was born in Mexico) and I went to a Rodizio de Pizzas. This is where you sit down and they bring out pizzas and you pick which ones you want a piece of. Among the pizzas there was a pizza that was covered with steak and French fries, a pizza covered with sushi, and multiple dessert pizzas, my favorite being warm chocolate and strawberries. It was delicious and we both got extremely full.

The rest of the night is a blur. Next thing I know we are at Edgar (also a Chicano) and Josu’s (who is straight up Mexican) apartment, then we are at Baixo da Gavea and I am peeing behind a bush because there aren’t any restrooms within a half an hour of walking distance and Jaime(pronounced Haime because he is a chicano too- are you getting my point?) is standing in front of me keeping watch for other people and spilling out his feelings for a girl he likes. I tell Renata this and she laughs and tells me that one of the most vivid memories she has of Italy is one where she peed in a street. Then we are suddenly at a bar in Ipanema and I am chatting with some gringos, one of whom is crushing on me, the other is engaged, and all of my friends are going home. I say good night to Christian (Mexican!) and Josu invites me to his apartment.

That night at his apartment made me feel like I was in the movie “L’auberge Espagnole”. The Italian man (or as I should call him, the Italian Stallion) brings home one of the Spanish girls and they are at it all night long… I should also mention that his room has a sheet for a door, so sound travels. Josu tells me that Italian Stallion is also having sex with other Spanish students as well. Despite the occasional awkward noises coming from the other room, Josu, me, and a Brazilian named Felipe manage to talk for hours. The doorbell rings at 5 in the morning and Josu won’t answer it because it might be the man from Bahia, a man who lived there for a week, stole their food, and has been coming back trying to stay there ever since. Nope, it happens to be the man from Buzios who is currently sleeping with Alicia, another Mexican girl who lives at the apartment. He comes into our room and immediately falls asleep. Alicia never comes home, probably because she’s hooking up with someone else. Meanwhile in the next room down Edgar is sharing a bed with a French guy because it is cheaper to live that way. Oh, the craziness that is living abroad.

Friday

I leave the apartment at 7:30 in the morning and realize that choosing classes that start at 3 pm was the best decision I ever made (where as some of my friends have missed 6 days of class, I make it to class every single day!). I walk outside to a bright, beautiful morning and I decide to take a stroll through Leblon. Everything is just beginning to open and I realize that I haven’t been out walking this early in Rio yet. In the morning here in Rio everything seems so fresh and new and happy to see you, and I walked with a spring in my step. Good morning, Brazil!