Everything from Classes to Cake

Well, this week has been quite the adventure. I guess the easiest place to start is with my classes. Each morning, I walk to UFBA Nursing school with a group of friends who live in my neighborhood. Our walk takes us from Nazarè (our neighborhood in Salvador) along Rua Joana Angelica and Avenida 7 de Setembro (two of the main streets in the city). During our daily 25 minute commute, we weave through fresh produce stands, windows filled with spandex and workout gear straight from the 80's, padarias (bakeries where fresh bread is made everyday), and tons of stores with products ranging from high fashion designers to discount fabrics to electronics superstores. We also pass through Campo Grande, a beautiful park and typical lunch location during our daily 2 hour lunch break! Before lunch, we have Portuguese in VERY small classes. My class is the biggest with a whopping 5 students. In the afternoon, we usually have lectures from local health professionals or professors. 

Campo Grande

view of the inner city from our classroom

Earlier this week, a bunch of the students from the program and I went to see Leymah Gbowee speak at Teatro Castro Salves. Not only was it an incredible opportunity to see a Nobel Prize Winner present on her work and speak so candidly about her life and family, but it only cost R$10 (equivalent to $5 US)!

In other news, I have joined a gym with 4 other ladies from my program, and it has been QUITE the experience. Apparently, there is some law in Brazil about needing a personal trainer with a gym membership... and they certainly do abide by this law. Each day when we walk in, one of the owners yells "THE AMERICAN'S ARE HERE!", and we are often introduced to fellow gym-goers that speak the slightest amount of english. They have also asked to take our picture on Monday to use in their next ad campaign on facebook to show "diversity". Needless to say, they are not only keeping us in shape, but also providing us with endless entertainment. 

Last but not least, no blog post would be complete without a little tid bit about my brazilian family. This week, I enjoyed many more treats from Ciara, including this lemon meringue tart, with what I think is a coconut brown sugar crust.

Last night, I met the entirety of my extended Brazilian family at my cousin's 18th birthday bash. The event was a marathon of kisses on both cheeks (or just one cheek if the kiss is followed by a hug), questions (only half of which I understood), and a whole lot of creative answers (I answer in portuguese if I can, but usually need the assistance of spanish and hand motions). After 7 hours, my brain was absolutely fried, and almost 24 hours later, I have not yet recovered.