Some More Beaches and Food

It seems like I don't do anything but go to the beach and eat... this week is no exception. On Sunday, I went to Praia do Forte with my host family. This small, beachy town is 2 hour drive along the coast from Salvador and has quite the collection of shops, restaurants, and wildlife. 

view from TAMAR (the turtle center)

I spent a majority of my time at Praia do Forte with my host cousin Luis (10), and my host brother Vini (28) wandering through the outdoor turtle center-aquarium-museum area, taking pictures in front of every turtle-related item. I think I may have miscommunicated about having aquariums in the US, and so my family thought that I had never seen one before, so they were REALLY into the pictures. I have never felt like such a tourist, but now I have quite the collection of awkward pictures of me posing with brazilian turtle paraphernalia. 

awkward picture 1: Me in a turtle 

awkward picture 2: Me and a turtle (we're making the same face, so this one is actually kind of cool)

awkward picture 3: me in a human sized turtle egg

my host cousin Luis is such a natural when it comes to egg pictures. 

 One quick thing slightly related academics before I get to the food (to prove that I actually work sometimes)... This week we visited a Maternidade (maternity hospital) that is part of the public health system. We toured a bunch of post-delivery rooms, the "kangaroo" room (where mothers have constant contact with their babies using those kangaroo sac things), and the hospital's breast milk bank. In the hour we spent walking around, I saw at least 20 babies fresh out of the womb (like really no more than a day or two old), and more breast milk than the average person sees in a lifetime. 

AND on to food. Highlights from Ciara's bakery this week included a bolo de milho (corn bread in the shape of a cake), chocolate and coconut crusted strawberries, and homemade sweet bread (the equivalent to Brazilian french toast). 

chocolate and coconut covered strawberries

sweet bread

I also managed to venture beyond the bakery for some special treats and went out for sushi with a couple friends this weekend. We feasted on incredibly fresh fish, and because we didn't quite understand or recognize most of the items on the menu, we were pleasantly surprised by our choices. Clearly, I am sticking with the beach and food theme. 

freshly made acai (and maybe blueberry) drink 

salmon and some other things (I really have no idea what this was called but it was incredible)

Cachoeira

This week, we spent five days in Cachoeira, a small town about 2 hours inland from Salvador. The suburbs of Cachoeira are rural areas with an occasional "town center" including a bar, maybe a gas station or a school, and a couple organized trees. All of our host families for this short stay reside in compounds with the rest of their family (I am pretty sure that everyone within a 5 mile radius is somehow related). My host family followed this set up and lives an incredibly simple life. Every time I returned for a meal, I would ask them what they did during the day and each time the response was "eh not much, maybe watch tv, relax and cook a little for you". Safe to say that I got a little stir crazy after the third novela on the first night.

My host family in Cachoeira (this was the only time I saw my host mom smile and I promise those kids usually were not miserable...)

the most luxurious mosquito net I will ever use

The main point of this Cachoeira excursion was to experience health care in a rural setting (which is pretty bad). My placement within the health care system was at the mental health clinic called CAPS. Originally, I was under the impression that this CAPS location was for mental illnesses like depression or schizophrenia, but, much to my surprise, this location is prime real estate for addiction. All of the patients had a slew of addictions, as well as an occasional mix of developmental disorders. Because CAPS does not require sobriety, a majority of the patients would come and go, using a collection of drugs as they pleased. On our first day with CAPS, we participated in an art therapy session, and also went on a field trip to a cigar factory with the woman who runs CAPS as well as all of the patients who participated in art therapy that morning (I couldn't make this stuff up). The second day, we participated in a group therapy session with about 10 patients. This therapy included a mirror exercise, a surprisingly heated argument on religion, and a couple of small fights among the patients. Safe to say my time at CAPS was a once in a lifetime kind of thing.

cigar factory

view from the bridge on the way to the cigar factory

Because I was not home for much of this week, there were only a few treats. This one is by far the funniest so far and was delivered to me while I was doing my homework this afternoon. Ciara said it was a leftover from one of the parties she catered this weekend which was appropriately princess themed. 

Morro De Sao Paulo

If anyone is ever looking for the perfect place to runaway/spend the rest of your life, it is Morro De Sao Paulo. This past weekend, four friends and I took a 2 hour catamaran to this beautiful island where there are tons of tropical fish, incredible views, beautiful beaches, and absolutely no cars. 

view from the top of the island during sunset

boat terminal 

some beach and tidal pool exploring 

We spent most of our time exploring from one beach to the next, making stops at an old fort, and some natural pools with lots of friendly fish. Because of the lack of cars, it is possible to walk everywhere on the island, which allowed for the five of us to wander wherever we wanted. This was a VERY nice break from the madness of Salvador where it is almost impossible to cross a street without dodging a motorcycle or two. 

exploring the historical fort (but really we just wanted to go swimming with fish)

and... finally found the fish! Schools swam right up to us!

If I don't stop talking about Morro De Sao Paulo now, I probably never will. SO, this seems like an appropriate time for the weekly baked goods update. According to Ciara (my host mom/professional baker/caterer), there is no way to say welcome home better than a fresh butterscotch-filled cupcake!

all you can see is frosting... but I swear the inside was filled with butterscotch

Usually, on my way back from class in the afternoon, I swing by the baking/catering hub (a short 30 feet from our apartment) to say hi. Each time I have done this, Ciara bundles me up with brigaderos (bite-sized chocolate treats) and cake. Really, absolutely nothing to complain about here!

brigaderos 

vanilla-coconut cake with chocolate flakes

Candomblè (and more cake)

Today, we went on a program excursion to learn about Candomblè, an incredibly rich and popular Afro-Brazilian religion. Candomblè originated during the slave trade in Salvador and Cachoeira, two main crossroads for product and cultural distribution. We were greeted with an invitation to bathe in holy herbal water, changed into outfits of all white (everyone wears white to ritual ceremonies, this gets tricky with the feast afterwords and the conveniently timed rain), and enjoyed a late breakfast of fruit. We spent the afternoon learning about the religion, its alternative health practices, the music of the ceremonies, and of course ended with another delicious meal of traditional Bahian cuisine. 

traditional Candomblè attire

This week also included trips to the Federal Police (I am now officially legal in this country), the beach,  a spring festival in Campo Grande, Shopping Lapa (a mall around the corner from my apartment which has a ridiculous collection of bathing suits, flip flops, and electronics) and at least five visits to the produce store next to the university where I have class. Through all of the exploring this week, I have learned that arriving a half hour late is actually considered to be arriving early, that red lights are completely optional, and that walking anywhere in this warm weather is far more enjoyable with ice cream or an acai smoothie. 

Cidade Baixa (the lower part of Salvador)

A government building (I think)

Bus ride down the coast of Salvador

And for the weekly update on my Brazilian family and personal baker... I have now added another cake and homemade flan to my list of delicious treats which Ciara calls "leftovers". She is certainly raising the standards for leftovers all over the world one pastry at a time. I have mastered doing homework and watching novelas at the same time (my host siblings really have this down, I'm just trying to fit in). 

homemade flan

I have also learned that tchau only means goodbye (NOT HELLO), which is quite confusing given my Italian background (in which ciao is used to greet). This explains why my host Dad laughed at me every single time I greeted him with Tchau!, essentially saying seeya later! I guess three weeks late is better than never?

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. 

Minha Famìlia

After my first full week, it is safe to say that my Portuguese abilities exist (much more than I could say upon first landing last Monday)! Much of this has to do with my host family. Ciara, my host mom, refuses to let me use my dictionary and instead prompts me to act things out and work through all of my questions. This strategy works most of the time, and always ends in laughter. Vini, my host brother, speaks English very well and, when Ciara is not listening, will try and help me out with some translations. So far the biggest miscommunications have been around food. Explaining that I STRONGLY dislike mayo was a bit tricky. For lunch one day I told Ciara that I liked the watermelon and within seconds had half of the giant melon on my plate. I ate it, and it was delicious, so no complaints here! Ciara is also a professional baker and LOVES to bring me treats. 

These are my two favorite so far (both with chocolate, hazelnut and maybe coconut?)

On Sunday, my family took me to Barra, an area of Salvador that is right on the beach with lots of restaurants, street performers, and historical sites. I got a personal tour of a couple beaches, a lighthouse, and some forts from Vini, and ended the day with some fresh coconut water!

Porto (fort) da Barra and a beach where we did not go swimming because it was too "cold"... only 82 degrees. 

Farol (lighthouse) di Barra

Nunnery to Nazarè

And so it begins! After almost of week of living in Bahia (a state in the northeast of Brazil) I am all settled in with my host family in Nazarè. They live in a beautiful apartment which is just a short walk from some historic buildings and the SIT offices where my program is based.

Before I get ahead of myself, I should mention that I spent the better part of this first week (and Rosh Hashana) living in a "nun education center"(aka the nunnery) with the 16 other students on my program. Although our program directors assured us it was not a convent, we had a curfew of 10pm and were constantly surrounded by various religious messages and pictures of the Pope. Although the nunnery may not have been ideal at all times, it was a five minute walk from the beach, the nuns were fantastic cooks, and it is pretty hilarious that this was my first exposure to Bahia. 

We discovered a roof top balcony area that had a view of the outside world including the ocean (with the city of Salvador in the distance... sorry about the roof)

 And the rest of the town of Itapua (the location of the nunnery)

As I previously mentioned, I'm not exactly a Portuguese wiz which is proving to be a bit challenging with my host family. My host brother speaks a little bit of English, but when he is not around, I am trying an Italian/Spanish combo to speak and understand. Sometimes it works... and I think I am beginning to pick up Portuguese with the help of novelas (soap operas, we watched 3 last night) and my very patient host family.