New Habits

I am starting to get to the stage in culture shock where you start to really notice the differences between your home culture, and your new host culture. Their predictions were spot on, everyday I am noticing things that are different that I had never noticed before. It is so interesting to me how many different ways there are of doing things, and how there really isn't a "right" or a "wrong" way, it depends on the person. It definitely has been one of the biggest challenges so far for me, getting used to doing things a different way. Not because it feels wrong to be doing it different, but because it is hard to break habits that you never really noticed you had, and to form new ones. Some of the new habits that I've formed are:

1. Drinking coffee every morning.
2. Putting the toilet paper in the garbage can instead of flushing it.
3. Making my bed every morning.
4. Eating a really big lunch and a small dinner.
5. Kissing everyone on the cheek to say hello and goodbye.
6. To give cars the right of way, even in a crosswalk.
7. Having my house key with me at all times, because if I get invited to go do something and I forgot it, I am just out of luck.
8. Washing my shoes every week.
9. To not put down a plate or bowl of food on the counter and leave it for more than a few seconds, otherwise there'll be a bunch of ants in it.
10. Putting my hair up all the time, but like a Brazilian, using no hair tie.
11. Taking a siesta after lunch. (my favorite new habit)
12. Going running every night that I don't have rotary or interact.
13. Eating chicken legs, pizza, hamburgers, and lots of other "finger food" with a fork and knife.
14. Wearing flip flops (havinas) all the time, even around the house.
15. Calling older woman Tia (aunt) as a sign of respect and affection.

On Wednesday the 16th, me and Leah walked around town with two guys who were visiting Tangara for the week. We showed them all of our favorite spots around the downtown area, and then walked back to Leah's house and made Brigadeiro, the classic Brazilian chocolate desert. It was a ton of fun because they had been traveling all over Brasil for a month already, and told us all about what they had seen. They had been to some of the cities that we will be going to on our big trip in January, and it made us really excited listening to them talk about how beautiful they were. That night, we went to my rotary meeting, and a lot of the interact kids were there getting ready for a big ice cream event that we had later this week. They were putting labels on little cups, and then put the tickets and the cups inside a bag. We had over two thousand to do, and even though it was a lot of work, it was a ton of fun! One of the boys started putting stickers on me and Leah, and then they all thought it was a ton of fun, and we spent more time taking the stickers off of our arms and back and out of our hair than actually helping.

On Saturday my school had it's big "IPES Solidario" event where there were stations set up in every classroom and in our courtyard outside. My class was working to raise money for our graduation this November by selling clothes that had been collected all year, at a huge stand. It took up the whole outdoor gymnasium and we had piles of clothes set out on the cement steps and on tables. It was really busy, but not that many people needed our help and so me and my friends were able to spend most of the time talking, making jokes and just hanging out. That night I was invited to go with two of my friends from school to their friends house. We jumped on her trampoline (trampoline in portuguese is pulapula, my new favorite word) and ate Salsisha, which is the Brazilian version of a hot dog. It is kind of hard to explain, but it is hot dogs cut into little pieces in a sauce with corn, and you put it into a mini french bread roll. It is really popular here, and everyone eats it with mayonnaise and ketchup.

On Sunday I went downtown with Julia and we got ice cream and walked around. The main street, Avenida Brasil, is about five or six blocks long and is filled with little shops and stands. We are still hesitant to go into the shops because people always come and personally help you. It makes it hard to leave without buying something, and so we just like to window shop. The last week went really well, it has definitely started to feel like a routine now. I keep forgetting that I am in Brasil, I'll go about my day just like I would back in the states. Then I'll suddenly realize that even though the act of walking to the store isn't exciting in itself, I am walking to the store in Brasil. The fact that I was able to have the chance to live in Brasil is amazing in itself. Me, Leah, and Julia will often sit and talk about how amazing and weird it is that we are here.

This past Friday we had interact which is always really fun. I can't remember if I've really explained what Interact is, but here's a quick rundown. It's basically like rotary, but for and run by teenagers. It's amazing. They are so professional and take it so seriously at the same time as having a ton of fun. The kids involved are so dedicated and caring, they want to make a difference and they really do. This interact meeting was especially important because they picked the next president. Being president is a really big commitment and honor, they put in a lot of work and time, but have a ton of respect. After the meeting ended, I went to Leah's house and we watched a movie with her little brother Joao Pedro. He ordered us pizza and we made brigadeiro again. It was a good lazy night at the end of a school week.

On Saturday and Sunday, Henrique and all the other kids in the third year in Tangara had the big test ENEM. It is basically the equivalent of the SAT and ACT tests, but for them, if they don't pass they can't go to college. I didn't have to take it thankfully, and so me and my host mom had a great day at home. We were both in the mood for something sweet, so after café da manhã (breakfast) she made these pastries filled with homemade blackberry jam. They were so good and we each ate two and a half. Then we did the laundry and made pipoca dulce (sweet popcorn) and watched some crime TV shows. We were going to make my favorite pineapple cake, but I went out with Leah downtown and we didn't have time.

On Sunday it was the big Ice Cream event. It was at the huge sport center in town, and almost two thousand children came and got ice cream. I was serving ice cream, and by the second hour my hand hurt really badly, but the sticky smiling faces were so cute that it was definitely worth it. Unsurprisingly, about halfway through the day, I accidentally dumped a whole bowl of ice cream down my legs. It was bad to begin with, but then this really nice lady tried to help me clean it up and just ended up smearing ice cream all over my legs. Everyone was laughing at me, and I realized that I wasn't actually that embarrassed. They were all laughing at me because I looked ridiculous, but it wasn't in a mean way at all. If that had happened in the U.S. I would have been mortified, especially if I had been somewhere where I didn't know anyone like I was at this event. It sometimes amazes me how much that I've changed since I got here, and this was one of those times where I really noticed a shift.

These next few weekends are going to be incredibly busy for me, so I am not sure when I'll get the chance to post again. I hope that everyone has a great Halloween, and that it has been a beautiful autumn. Dad you better send me pictures of Ben in his costume if he goes trick or treating!
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