May 26 2009

Hey guys/gals, sorry I haven’t been able to keep up with being able to write everyday, its been crazy… okay where did I leave off. Yea, so much for taking it easy, I was bored to death last night so I decided to go for a walk along the street upon which I live ( rua de sete de setebre) at the end of the block there is a nice little quaint bar. I ordered a beer and went to the patio, where I overheard the sweet sound of ingles! I sat next to the table of the three girls speaking in my native tongue, and thought for a while of a non-threatening way of approaching them. It ended up coming out as “Sup… yall speak English?”, the shocked look on their faces said the same to me. I sat down to have a conversation with the three charming gals, and learned that they had been looking at me for a while trying to discern weather or not I was Brazilian. We chatted for a while, in doing so, I found out that the Pelourinho (which means ‘stone column’) district, while quite dangerous at night, is the place to be on Tuesdays. After about an hour, I decided to go home leaving them an e-mail address (which they have yet to use) to send me useful information about the “to do’s” while in Bahia, went home and passed out.
I woke up and took a (warm) shower, and headed to class. After class, the entire group boarded a bus to take yet another city tour. I don’t really understand the purpose of taking a city tour of the same area twice (but what do I know). I made lemonade from lemons taking some pretty cool pictures, while exploring the historical artifacts of the Pelourinho, which I learned is symbolic for authority and justice. We spent the first half of the tour exploring the Condemple and the Orixas. According to our guide, Fred, orixas are everywhere and we each all have an orixas or spirit. One orixas which I found quite interesting is Exu, the orixas of the earth, he often is symbolized as a devil looking figure or a penis. We also learned that while Condemple is practiced by some whites, we see it most prevalent in the Favelas. The second half of the ‘tour’ we visited more churches one word… boring. I’m sorry, I admit I’m not that religious and every time I enter a church and see all the propaganda materialized in gilded ceilings walls shrines etc… it just makes me sad. I don’t mean to offend anyone, this is just my point of view and I have to call it like I see it.
(On a much lighter note) The sun was beginning to set and we were already in the area the girls (I’d met the previous night) suggested, and so with a group of about 8, we ate at this restaurant and drank caporinnas. Over dinner, a select group of us discussed relationships and things of that nature. It’s interesting to hear the views and opinions of others ideas/ideals of how a relationship should work. Which got my mind thinking about ‘home’, in perspective of me leaving for a month and the possibility of changes(for the better or worse) that could take place during that time. I don’t have any crazy conclusions, just a subconscious unexplored thought.
We’d heard of a musician by the name of Geranamo hosting a free concert. We got there a little late and ran into more people from the ACBEU group some from California. The KU/Texas/Illinois group began to slowly disappear, due to the extremely high amount of chronic being publicly smoked by the natives. With just two of us remaining, we followed the California ACBEU group to the Salsa Bar for a short period of time before heading home. After being paranoid from the robbery stories from the California students (and a possible contact high), we thought of it a wise idea to walk ‘the girl’ home first. On the way home Katie pointed out a dead monkey in the street which freaked me out even more on my walk home alone. I made it home tucked myself in and fell asleep…. Ahhhhh, what Another eventful day in Brazil.

In closing, I learned social situations can be awkward and often time one may feel 'alone' especially when studying abroad, I think it’s important to find someone who you can click with, whom you share a connection even at slight. I don’t have much luck today in that area, but hopefully with my recent purchase of my orixas voodoo doll, that will change soon!(j/k)
Until you visit again
Abrosso
-Davidgi