Last Sunday Mrs. Terezinha and Mr. Paulo flew out of the country to Argentina, which borders the western side of Brazil. They left to visit some long-time friends that had lived in Natal many years ago and had become very close with my boyfriend's parents. While I knew that this week would likely not be as eventful as prior weeks, I relished the idea of being able to catch up on sleep (Mrs. Terezinha enjoys an earlier start to her day, where as I am a night owl..mix the two, and you get a rather sleepy individual.) as well as spend some alone and quality time with my boyfriend.

I was disappointed to notice today that my time here is coming to an end very soon. The people, culture, and places that I have seen are sure to resonate in my mind for many years to come. I have no doubt that I will return some day, when I am able to save enough money to come here again.

On a much lighter note, I hope to write several new posts on my experiences here that I had neglected, some time within the next few days. I would like to show everyone some of the more intimate romances and tragedies that the city of Natal holds. I will take it as a challenge, as I find that this city raises a conflict within myself; the city is both beautiful and ugly, happy and sad, new and old.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this week with Paulo. We needed some time to ground ourselves and simply enjoy existing with one another. I can count numerous occasions in which Paulo has said quite simply that, "Life is good right now" I have to agree. This was a very much needed vacation, and I have enjoyed my time here.
I am, very simply, happy.

So, there's this aweful fad diet going through its phase in America (what else is new?) that claims that a small berry called Açai (pronounced Ah-sigh-EE) will get you skinny through its "ultra high" amount of antioxidents.

Like most fad diets, I hope you are one of the smart folks and can realize that this is not true. Most of these companies keep shipping their products, and will not stop; which means they also keep charging your credit cards, and will not stop.

What is true, however, is that the açai berry is native to central and south america, especially Brazil. They are approximately an inch in diameter and have a large seed in the center. The seed actually takes up more of the berry than the pulp and juice (dailyspark.com). There are many new ads that claim that this berry can be used as a supplement to super-cleanse your system, causing you to loose weight. When I told this to Paulo, he busted out laughing and told his mom, who also burst into laughter.

The açai berry actually is a fatty fruit. It is very caloric; 80 calories per half cup, in fact (dailyspark.com). It is, in fact, high in anti-oxidants and omega 3 and omega 9 fatty acids, which are known to lower cholesterol. It has a low glycemic index to boot, so it won't make your blood sugar skyrocket (www.it-takes-work.com).

While I have been here, however, Açai has become my absolute favorite treat. There is a small shop that sells it as a frozen treat, which seems like something of a mix between ice cream and a smoothie in a bowl, topped with your choice of granola and a fruit. I prefer granola with dried coconut; Paulo's mother enjoys hers with banana, and his father chooses to squeeze lime over his. If I were ever to open a business, I would want to open an açai shop. I've grown to absolutely love this chilled treat, and I wish that I could share some with everyone. Unfortunately, the berry deteriorates extremely quickly and would never make it here and still be usable. It took me a moment, when I first tried it, to decide that I liked it, but it's become even more delectible (and far more healthy) than ice cream. Paulo told me that this frozen treat is a favorite of people that do sports, dancing, or lift weights, as not only is it tasty and mostly healthy, but it replaces the nutrients and energy that they lost from working out. After an hour or two at the gym one day, Paulo and I decided to test this theory; if nothing else, it was nice to have something cold and refreshing to eat after pouring out the steam!

 The name of the açai shop.

I meant to tell everyone about this exciting part of my journey much earlier, but with me getting sick, I decided to just take it easy for a while. Nevertheless, here is my experience with a great party at a nearby "club" (club in the terms of settled, fairly well-to-do folks) and their party celebrating São João (St. John) and the abundance of corn.

According to Mr. Paulo, the dance that is traditionally used at these parties, "Forro" (pronounced fo-ho) actually derived from the 1940's, during the time of World War II. At that time, there were US troops in Brazil. At the bases, these troops would hold large parties "For all," where everyone, including Brazilians, were invited. When you say the name "Forro", and the words "for all," you will notice that they sound somewhat similar to one another; this is because "for all" is actually how the Brazilians ended up pronouncing and spreading the pronunciation of those words. Hence, "forro," the traditional Brazilian dance that everyone is invited to partake in.

There have been times when I have been extremely aware of myself being a gringa (foreigner) here. Let's face it- I'm about as pale as a sheet of paper, and trying to blend in would take some serious tanning. The night that we went to that party, however, I not only felt accepted by my boyfriend's family, but everyone. The dance wasn't difficult to get the hang of, and I had a blast! I hope you enjoy the photos and videos!


Mr. Paulo dancing Forro with me!

















Forro parties were held in celebration of the corn and having a good harvest. these are all treats made from corn:


















Now for some videos:
(Note: The only video uploader that would handle all of my videos and embed them, is vimeo. Unfortunately, vimeo is often slow, though it has a much clearer picture. This means you may want to hit play, then hit pause and wait for the entire video to load before watching, to make sure it has minimal stops through the movie when it plays. When it is finished loading, you can push play again and watch it all the way through.)

Mr. Paulo, Mrs. Terezinha, dancing like pro's!



Me, dancing with Mrs. Terezinha.



Some of the group dancing. In some of these videos, you can see the people dressed in extravigant, colored clothing. These are the traditional Forro dresses. You'll know them when you see them... they look different from everyone else. I believe the traditional dresses this time were mostly yellow and green, showing Brazilian Pride. (Yellow, Green, and Blue are the colors of the brazilian flag, and they are displayed everywhere down here.) In this particular version of the dance, a person uses a microphone to give directions to an impromptu line dance of sorts. They make up a "story" to go with it, having different people play "parts", like a Bride, Priest, Daughter, etc. The last couple of videos, I liked in particular.

I thought it might be good to let everyone know the reason for my sudden lack of posts in the last week.

Firstly I'd like to establish: I am okay.

Knowing this, let me go into the story. Most people know I have a particular love for food. When the opportunity arises to try new food, I usually jump at the chance. When many new foods are involved, I'm known to take a little of each kind, and try a bit of them all. Such an opportunity arose this last week, and as usual, I pounced. Along with our normal dinner (which has many foods I'm really not used to as is), I also tried quail eggs, and had some cashews later that night. I can feel my stomach roiling even at the thought of the eggs.

Long story short, 3 am and I was torn from my sleep to rush to the bathroom and was huddled over the toilet several times after that, between then and the next evening. I at one point couldn't remember what count I was at, but it was either 9 or 10 seperate times that I had to actually go to vomit.

Luckily, Marcia, a mutual friend of Paulo and mine, has parents who work as doctors at the local public hospital. I went to the hospital twice that day; one time in the morning, in which they gave me 500 ml of saline and some meds to stop me from vomiting, and again in the evening when it returned. The second time, Marcia's father saw me directly, and gave me 500 ml of sugar-water solution with the same medicine as the earlier visit, and 2 more containers of saline, 500 ml each. Since then, I have been eating very bland foods, such as mild fruits and rice. Strangely, when I get too tired, I feel the sensation returning to my stomach, and I set aside time to rest, regardless of what I'd like to do instead.

The experience was definitely not a good one, and I've learned several lessons: Don't mix too many new foods, drink a lot of water to keep hydrated, and never eat quail eggs. Ever.

As I said before; I am okay now. I just am far more careful to keep my liquid intake up, and am extremely aware of what I am eating now. Aside from that, everything else has been peachy, and I'm thanking God for the my boyfriend's family, who are treating me with great care, as if I were their own daughter. I am thankful for them, and also for the fact that public hospitals in Brazil...are FREE. I was so sick, that I was really having a hard time orienting on digging up my international insurance information. It makes me really upset, though, that the USA doesn't have the same.

Here is the movie I took from the lookout that is situated so that you can look out and over the tree, which is massive. The first area I show, the little houses, are actually tourist shops filled to the brim with anything and everything related to cashews, including a cashew liquor that Mr. Paulo bought for my father. (Again, my boyfriend has the same name as his father, so I am dictating the difference by using "Mr." for Paulo senior.) Enjoy! Oh... and my boyfriend Paulo also pops his head into view at one point during the video...being a dork, as usual. hehe..

So on our way to the world's largest cashew tree, Paulo, myself, and his family stopped at an old, abandoned military base that was once used to put satelites into orbit. Due to the expansion of the population around it, however, they began moving many bases to the more uninhabited portions of Brazil, often in the North. Now, some portions serve as a place for tourists to stop and take a gander, while much of the other portions are barred by electric fences.
                                              



The military base was pretty cool, but the food we had after seeing the Cashew tree was spectacular. It was at the edge of a beautiful beach, and specialized in small whole crabs. They were delicious and came in a yellow (I imagine butter) sauce. There was also "Bolinho de Bacalhau", a salty fish that is deepfried and served with a sauce, and "Pastel de Camarão"(a deep fried pocket with shrimp) or "Pastel de Carne de Sol" (a deep fried pocket with salty & cured meat). Pastels may also be baked, but ours were the traditional fried kind. Mrs. Terezinha and I enjoyed coconut milk directly from the coconut, while Mr. Paulo chilled with a cool beer, and Paulo (my boyfriend shares the name with his father, so I will dictate his father with a "Mr." title beforehand) enjoyed his coca cola.

Enjoy the photos of our tasty lunch!

Cracking the shell of the crab. Eventually I found out that cracking it with my teeth was far quicker and more rewarding!
 Pastel--- Shrimp
Below: Bolinho de Bacalhau... I think this was my favorite. The deep-fried fish.
Eating the "Carne do coco"....Coconut meat.

All I can say is wow! That thing is a beast! Here are some photos. I'll be uploading a video I took from atop an elevated pavillion later. From there, you can see the rooftops of houses as well as the top of the tree. From what Paulo and his father told me, the reason the tree is so huge is that it has a disease that has made it spread outward instead of upward. Indeed, you can see the way the branches tangle and blast through the area, twisting into and out of the ground, creating its own support system in doing so. Here are some enlarged photos; again, the video will be up later.

Cool sign.... but look at the massive tangle of branches behind it!

Yep.. typical tourist! Cashews come from the tree in this form: they have a "False fruit" on top, which is very sweet. I had a candy made with it earlier today, and could not finish the tiny piece. It reminds me of an intense raisin taste. The bottom part, however, juts out of the false fruit; this is what encases the cashew nut. Terezinha gave me some cooked ones the other day; they are surprisingly very large compared to ours. I would say, in fact, that they are double the size of ours. They still have the same great taste though.

Annnnnd... of course I had to get Paulo to do it too. Hahahahhaha.. what can I say? We're nuts! (It's okay.. you can throw tomatoes at me.. I'm too far for any of them to actually hit.)

Today was definitely a good day. I woke up to a shower and another great breakfast. A fresh papaya half was awaiting me. I'd learned only yesterday how to eat a papaya, but I scooped the tiny black seeds out almost like a pro. I was soon drinking and eating a cup of strong coffee, a sandwich (which consists of a small slice of plain ham and a slice of cheese), freshly made juice (juiced directly from the fruits, not bought in the store), and a slice (a slice being a centimeter or so wide, a couple inches long, an inch or so high.. by American standards, very small) of "Cake". You really don't need much more than that, though, to truly enjoy the flavor. In fact, for the first time ever, I have felt totally satisfied with one, possibly two, of a dessert of that size.

It looks very much like this one.  The inside is firm and very compact. It is not at all like American cake, but the firmness reminds me slightly of cheese cake...but even more firm than that. You can pick it up with your fingers after you cut it. At first, I thought it was made from a soft yet firm cheese, like good mozzarella. It has a tasty yet not overpowering sweet flavor. Perfect with your morning coffee.
 This photo to the left was found on http://maternasp.wordpress.com/2009/04/17/para-quem-nao-vai-viajar/
After breakfast, the family and I all hurried to the car. We were soon at an outdoor fresh/organic fruit market, with tons of new and very interesting and enticing fruits and vegetables. Aside from passion fruits, papayas, mangos, star fruits, pineapples, bananas, and other familiar fruits, I found many fruits I'd never even imagined to exist.

I walked through, exploring the different shapes, sizes and colors, while Paulo's mother, Terezinha pointed out the Portuguese names of some of the particularly odd ones.

We ended our trip with a bunch of bananas, some tiny green fruits that I don't remember the name of (and soon found out I really, really did not like anyway..), and the best-tasting Cantaloupe I have ever eaten; sweet and refreshing, just as it should be.

For those that are interested in seeing more pictures of the Brazil trip and the fruit market, I would like to invite you to view my online photo album through Picasa, which will have the majority of my photos from this trip. For the sake of the organization of this site, I cannot post all of the photos in my blog, but by viewing the Picasa Photo Album, you can easily view, comment, and enlarge all of the photographs from this trip. I will make a similar album of all videos from this trip. If I can figure it out, I hope to make separate tabs at the top of this page. If not, you can always reach the album via the slideshow that I have just installed on the upper right hand side of this page. Simply click one of the small photos to enlarge them, and then you should be able to go through the album itself. It will automatically upload every time I put more photographs in the Brazil album on my computer, so you won't have to miss a thing!

I meant to post this the day after I arrived, but somehow it got lost in some of my other picture files. Here it is, the landing phase of my flight, at the São Paulo airport.

Today is going to be my first time watching the world cup in Brazil. Terezinha, Paulo's mom, took me with her to pay her bills and to exchange my US dollars into their money, the Real (Reais). I was shocked to see that nearly all of the shops, including the money exchange, were closed. Why were they closed? The soccer game.

Devout fans of soccer, everyone was rushing home to watch the game, which begins at 11:00 am. It is currently 10:21, and the traffic is becoming more crazy by the moment; people begin to ignore traffic signals and lines on the road are merely that: lines. When we arrived home, a delectible scent taunted my nose and tongue, coming from the patio in front of the pool. A Brazilian BBQ has already begun, with the television blaring the pre-game news. I am still full from breakfast, but I can't help but really be tempted to snitch some carne do sol, a salty kind of roast beef/steak (not sure..but it's definitely tasty!)

I am relieved to say that I'm understanding quite a lot more, and his mom is starting to call me a "Brasiliera," a brazilian girl. I hope to take some photos of the food for my next post, because while I don't like everything, it all tastes interesting enough for me to want to eat a little more, just to try it. It is all extremely different from what I am used to. I think my favorite so far is the passionfruit mousse, which is slightly more solid than the American mousse, borderline pudding, but still airy. Here is myself in the cute Brazil-Hello Kitty T-Shirt Terezinha bought for me. I was surprised it fit, but it does! Clothing here is generally much smaller than in the USA...perhaps for sadly obvious reasons. Their "Big girl" stores look more like American sizes, in honesty. I noticed this when we took a trip to a large, 3-story mall yesterday.
Today, it seems that an exciting game of futebol is awaiting me. I am sure that I won't be disappointed. Brazil's team is renown for putting on a great game and having spectacularly loyal fans.