Tudo Bem

I am EXHAUSTED. I haven't had a full night's sleep since I got here. Last night I got only a couple of hours because we went out in Lapa and Brazilians don't even start partying until 11 or 12 so naturally they stay out until the wee hours of the morning. I didn't even stay out late by Brazilian standards but I had to get up early to go on a city tour today. We went to the Corcovado (Christ the Redeemer statue) and it was amaaaazing! Pics to come (though I didn't take many pictures - I mostly just wanted to absorb it all through my senses and not through a camera, you know? Anyway we also went to a stadium thing (don't remember the name) where they have the desfile (parade) for Carnaval in Rio. That one was kinda cool but it's hard to get a real feel for something like that when it's not even time for Carnaval. After that we went to an all-you-can-eat buffet churrascaria. Churrasca is the term they use for barbeque... and it's pretty much my new favorite thing ever. My new Mexican friend Raul and I decided to wait to get up and go to the buffet until the line was a little shorter and it was a great idea because servers started just coming up to us and offering us different types of meats. They carry it around on a stick and if you tell them you want some then they slice it off the stick onto your plate. I ate more meat at that meal than I usually do in probably 2 weeks. Sooo delicious. Anyway after that we were supposed to continue on the tour to the stadium where the World Cup will be, but a couple friends and I were too exhausted so we just did a little bit of shopping in Copacabana and then parted ways. Now I will finish this and then nap until time for festa.

Lapa was a trippppppp. I had no idea what to expect - I heard people mention that it was a good place to go out on weekends but I figured that just meant there were good bars and whatnot. But no - they close off the main streets for the whole night every weekend night and masses of people just roam around and drink and dance and talk (and make out) and have a good time. It's kinda like Lovefest but wayyyyyy more legitimate. People here actually know how to drink and not get too crazy. Brazilian men could (somehow...) very easily tell that we were not Cariocas (people from Rio) and they'd come up to us and ask for a beijo but I was resilient and did not cave into their very very attractive persuasions. So we walked around, did some dancing in a baile funk (like hip hop, rap, Brazilian rap, etc.) club, drank caipirinhas, got hit on by too many men, and took a cab home. It was a really good time but definitely not something I need to do every week.

I'm really content with my homestay. It's way safer than even my house in Berkeley ever was, it's in a really convenient location near school, and it's not nearly as touristy and crowded as a lot of other places like Copa and Ipanema. For meals we have two options: for R$950/mo. (about $600)we could either have our hosts have cafe da manha (Brazilian breakfast: fruit, bread, coffee, etc.) ready for us every morning, or for R$1200/mo. (about $750)we could have that plus another meal each day. I wasn't sure which one I should do, so I brought it up to my host mom. She said she'd prefer not to have to feel pressured to make meals for me every day because she has a lot of work and other things on her mind, but she said she'd only charge me R$900 and she'd still have coffee available for me every day and usually fruit and other things. She suggested that so that if for any reason she doesn't have those things I could just use the extra R$50 to buy them if I want them. She also said that she usually makes more food than she can eat herself anyway and that any time she makes food she will have plenty available for me. She's also not charging me for internet, which should be R$25/mo. Soooo pretty much, I'm getting the best deal possible. All in all, this place is way cheaper and safer than my living situation in Berkeley, and I have my own room and my own bathroom. Can't I just stay here forever? Acho que sim, vou ficar. (If you translated that... don't worry, I'm mostly kidding ;) )

Anyway I need a nap but I hope you are all well and I love and miss you terribly!

Beijos,
Megan