Classes started (finally!) last week! My schedule hasn't been finalized yet, though, for a variety of reasons. For example, I was originally planning to take a History of Brazil class, a Volleyball class, a Portuguese class, and a Literature/Culture of Brazil class. But I was feeling like that wasn't really enough, and I wanted to add another course. Luckily, due to some scheduling changes, I was able to add a Hydrology class, which so far has been great. However, due to irreconcilable differences between the history professor and me (i.e. he speaks WAY TOO QUIETLY and I can't understand his Portuguese), I have been forced to drop the history class. I can't say I am too upset, though, because as of now my schedule is as follows: Mondays–Volleyball from 3-5; Tuesdays–Hydrology 11-1, Literature/Culture 3-5, Portuguese 5-7; Wednesdays–NADA!; Thursdays–same as Tuesdays; and Fridays–Volleyball from 3-5. I also am trying to take soccer from 7-8 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and maybe some art class or something before volleyball on Fridays. I know it looks like I'm just screwing around here, but Portuguese and Literature/Culture should both transfer over for my major, and I get credit for everything I am taking here. In fact, if I add soccer, I will have a total of 16 units this semester, which is not even slacking off.
An interesting tidbit about my schedule: the reason for the aforementioned scheduling change that allowed me to add hydrology was...drumroll...I got moved up a level in Portuguese! Apparently spending February hanging out with Brazilians (for the most part) has helped my Portuguese enough that they decided I need to be in the highest level. I don't want to brag...well, actually, who am I kidding. I totally want to brag! I feel really proud and satisfied and accomplished and blah blah blah that my Portuguese is improving faster than I thought it was.
Summarizing my classes:
Volleyball is my favorite class (obviously). Most opportunities to make new Brazilian friends (although there are plenty of intercâmbio kids in the class with me too).
Hydrology is taught by a lady named Adrianna (which was my Portuguese professor's name during the ILP, and is my new Portuguese professor's name...). She's very Brazilian and relaxed, but she definitely knows what she's talking about. It is just an intro course, and based on the syllabus I will enjoy the topic. Plus...we get to go on hikes! Fun!
Literature/Culture...on my first day of class, I accidentally went to the class next-door. Which happened to be Brazilian Literature also. I realized about an hour into the two hour lecture that I was in the wrong place, so I "went to the bathroom," which is to say that I went next-door and told my actual teacher that I felt like an idiot and blah blah blah. She laughed, told me she's done the same thing, and gave me the syllabus, sending me back to the other class by saying "Now I just hope that this other class isn't better than mine!" It wasn't. I much prefer the class I was supposed to be in. The only downside is that, like volleyball, it's full of intercâmbio students, which probably won't help me in my search for integration into Brazilian society.
My new Portuguese class is kind of along the lines of my old Portuguese class except now instead of being confident because I knew I was pretty good at Portuguese, I am now timid because I know I am the worst in the class. Everyone else in the class has either studied here for at least a semester already, or is a native Portuguese speaker (think Brazilian-American, Cabo Veridean-American, Portuguese-American etc.). But it's ok…it will force me to get better, I guess.
Besides classes, not too much has changed around here...the weather has finally cooled down, and we just had about a week of rain, which is kind of a drag when all the cool stuff to do is outdoors. The other night, I was tricked by the weather, actually. I thought it had finally stopped raining (I mean, it had), and so I went out without my umbrella (20 reais courtesy of a department store here). Sadly, as soon as I was on the bus headed away from my apartment, I started to notice the lightning. And then the sky opened up and another really Brazilian storm hit. This one was bad enough that when I finally gave up trying to get a taxi after trying for an hour, I took a bus home and it took 2 more hours because a bunch of the streets had severely flooded. http://twitpic.com/171by6 That's one of the less dramatic ones, but it came right out of my neighborhood, so I thought it's a good one to share. Luckily I live up a hill a bit, so my road wasn't flooded.
On a side note, speaking of my road, I would like to tell my readers that apparently my neighborhood, especially my street, and my building even, are quite popular locations for filming major films and TV series. A major soap opera has been filming here on and off since February, and so once in a while I come home and have to wait because they're using our front gate or something. Also, the other day they used my road to film a kidnapping scene from the movie Tropa de Elite 2 which is a sequel to a film with a similar name...duh. But they're pretty big films here in Brazil, so I thought that was kind of exciting.
Anyway, I have class in the morning, so I must retire for the night. But I feel accomplished now that I've updated cyberspace.
Beijos.
I have a secret crush on you
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