Merry Christmas

Búzios is beauuutiful. The view from this pousada is amazing, like from a storybook. We're convinced that some of the pretty painted fishing boats are "show boats" but even so they add to the amazingly relaxed and kicked back but still luxurious atmosphere. Not luxurious like gold toilets which I would say are tacky but luxurious like, beautiful surroundings, jacuzzi overlooking the beach, an amazing chef/barstaff and restaurant. Sheer white curtains all over the place, you have to wind through them to get to the sun deck and open air, but roofed restaurant.

So, I wrote that first paragraph before I had twenty something mosquito bites on my shins. And I think I was especially allergic to these ones- so much that I sought pharmaceutical help. When Brazilians get sick they usually try the pharmacy first, because you can get pretty much any drug over the counter. They didn´t look surprised though, and just gave me some oral antihistamine and cortizone cream, so I'm less worried.

Best part of Búzios, or at least a highlight was meeting South African guys with a bottle of Johnny Walker black label. The bar had closed early that night (understandably, it was christmas eve) and I was going to go get my welcome drink and then I ran into them. Antoni, jumped across the bar and found us ice and glasses, and accidentally broke a glass- it was awesome. Kevin came and joined us too. It was one of those impromptu, timing just worked out perfectly moments that can never be repeated. People meeting people.

It definitely didn´t feel like Christmas day. Though, sharing favorite Christmas moments over a delicious meal for Christmas eve dinner at the pousada- Vila d´este- was fun, but I miss snow.

I got to Rio today, to my hostel that I reserved- It wasn´t labelled at all except for the address, and I think Kevin and his parents were a little freaked out to leave me there. It wasn´t in a bad part of town though, I feel totally safe here- the security is pretty comprehensive. The staff at the hostel is really chill, treats everyone here like part of the family. People are watching Das Experiment dubbed in portuguese and with english subtitles. Good movie, interesting in translation. I didn´t leave the hostel today, because it has been pouring rain all day. Sort of wish I was back in Búzios, making fun of Paulo the hotel manager.

Londrina- I miss you already

Cheesy, sure- but I mean it.

Thursday night was the last night before Marlene closed down the office until after the new year. That night, Marlene, Joao, Isa and I went to a bar called Vilao for a end of year celebration where we met everyone else from the office, plus a few significant others and/or relatives. Carolina came with her sister, Emerson with his girl, Samara with her boy and Josi with her husband. We somehow went through 5 bottles of wine. Really really good dry red wine. Concha de Toro, and then St. Helena. To get to this bar, you had to walk through literally a jungle. Well, not really a jungle, it was a brick walled hallway with lights strung up over head, and trees and plants growing on either side, some of them in pots, some not- forming an archway towards the back where the entrance to the bar was. The bar itself had a collection of just about everything, you can see in some of the pictures that I promise to post soon.

I'm not sure if it was the wine, or if it was the dim nostalgia-inducing lighting or maybe I just got bug spray in my eye- but there were a couple of times where I looked over at Marlene, or at Isa, or Josi and Andre, and wanted to cry. Like, floods of memories from the past two months ran through my head, from first meeting them at the airport, to goofing off at dinner in Marlene's kitchen, to making tea for the office, to dancing and singing in the car with Isa... just made me wish it didn't have to end. And then when I realized it was going to, whether I was ready or not, it got to me. I have made great friends over the short time that I have been in Londrina. And I hope- no I know, we'll see each other again. Whether it will be back in Londrina, or in NYC 2010 (Marlene is planning a trip there, then).

This trip has been so much more than a work-exchange program. Sure, I learned a lot, picked up a few programs and a few projects to put in my portfolio. Being here, meeting people and seeing how they live what they value how they see the world- Its restored my faith in the good in people, in love, in myself. Amazingly good people are out there, and I've been truly blessed to meet some of them.

For me, the face of Brazil will always be Londrina, Marlene-Lima arquitetas e interiores, and the boa gente of the Ricci-Souza family and their friends. Leninha, their maid- who is more like a good friend who's job happens to be to clean and cook for them has spoiled me rotten for the past couple months, her two kids Tunico and Nayara are both amazing, Tunico (actual name is Wellington) is an amazing artist and wants to be an architect. I really think he will be when he grows up, he has a great talent. And Nayara, she will do whatever she sets her mind to, she's very bold and talkative- huge sweetheart.

Getting sidetracked... So today I got into Sao Paolo. The bus was late and it was PACKED at the terminal- but somehow Kevin (my uncles friend who's parents are also visitin) found me, and everything is good. Thank goodness he is here! And willing to host my aimless-self for a while. We had an amazingly delicious dinner at an Italian place downtown. I took some pictures of buildings along the way- Sao Paolo is immmmense. I can't even handle it- will need to crack open a guide book- yuck tourist stuff. Tomorrow we're off to Buzios, a small beach town- I can't wait for the ocean!!

embora...

I bought my bus ticket to Sao Paulo today. I had been putting it off for a few days because I don't really want to think about leaving. I've really connected with everyone here. People from the office, and the family. I feel like I've just gotten to the point where you really get to know people. Past the daily personality things you perceive over time to the deeper, things about their pasts you could only know if they told you, confided in you. To that point where you trust each other with anything, where you are completely comfortable- where you can joke about everything, where I understand their jokes in Portuguese, and then make my own. I'm finally there, and now I'm leaving in 5 days.

I know Christmas here would be wonderful, but I also want to get out there and see more of Brazil. I'm actually torn over travelling and I never thought that could happen. Seeing Kevin (my uncle´s good friend from college who works for GM in Sao Paolo) will be great, I know I will have a great Christmas with him and his parents too. Everyone keeps telling me that Búzios is gorgeous, and I can´t wait to see for myself. Reveillon 2009 will be in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro with other IAESTE students. Cannn't wait!

Yesterday I dreamt I was in my parents house- took me a second to figure out where I was once I woke up. I think its my subconscious confirming that I do miss them, even if I don't want to think about it. Homesickness is a terrible, humbling thing, sort of like nostalgia- it takes away from living in the now, and now I am in the best place I can possibly be. I want to remember all the impressions and perceptions that I'm getting here and now in Brazil, not from missing friends and family from the states. At the same time, its good to realize how much you take for granted while abroad. Even though things are worse than they´ve been in years, I still think that I´m privaleged to live in the good old US of A and I want to come back. Especially now, I think with Obama, as a country we are finally moving in the right direction and I'm excited to see what happens- to be part of it.

It's Christmas?

Christmas season has officially started... almost three weeks ago. With no Thanksgiving to get hyped about before, its understandable that the Christmas season starts early. Don't get me wrong, I like Christmas too... but its odd to be reminded of how many ridiculous American christmas songs there while abroad. Rudolf the rednose reigndeer was playing at the drugstore, followed by here comes santa claus. Also, I am pretty sure a saleswoman at a candle shop who was setting up the Christmas display was singing jingle bells. This Sunday we helped set up Jordana's Christmas tree... listening to Celine Dion Xmas songs, I've forgotten about them, but they're actually good.

My mom would be proud, I am totally taking advantage of having a pool in the backyard. I'm no Michael Phelps (thank god) but I've gotten better. Joao was telling me that last year no one went in the pool. This I find hard to believe, but sad if its true. I guess its like most luxuries, once you have them they lose their appeal. I am still in the phase where I'm loving it.

I'm starting to entertain the idea of traveling on my days off. I've been sort of a chicken, but after the internship is over, I'm most likely going to be traveling on my own, at least for a little bit. I wish it were easier to come here, Brazil is an amazing country- apart from the corrupt bureaucracy and annoying visa and taxes you "have" to pay. I have secured a place to stay in Rio over NYE... some IAESTE kids are going to be in the area as well... we have an email group and I've been talking to a few. A lot of people are in Belo Horizonte, far away from me. I like it here though- truly. My Brazilian family, as they call themselves- is great. We're always joking and having a good time; they are just fun to be around.

On the work front... I love doing details. Call me crazy, but its true. I even took a picture of a building because I detailed the kind of window it had. Yes it gets tedious, and sometimes difficult, but once you have it all drawn and put together in a set... its almost like finishing that model you started 30 hours ago with plenty of time to spare- something that never happens in architecture school. Carolina, (one of the architects) assures me that it is the same in Brazil... no sleep, faulty glue and hours of crits and reviews. It's always down to the wire. Also, a new admiration and fascination of sketchup. Some are against it, and its not the most technical of programs, but you can make a lot of cool stuff. Now in the days where the image rules, making kick ass perspectives to hook your clients is always a good thing.

I learned this weekend that cachaca, cerveja and tequila is a terrible idea together. I got a casa de cachaca shotglass as a souvenir, as well as one of the worst hangovers ever... I have to be careful with that stuff- but its a truly Brazilian thing, though I'll admit not my favorite. At least I wasn't the only one messed up, we found Bruno asleep in his car on the way back to ours... he told us the next morning he slept there until 5am, when his brother called from the bus station to come pick him up. Aiai. Loucura. My Portuguese is getting better, though I'm still sort of shy to speak it, Fabio makes fun of me for not talking more. Punk. I'm starting to forget how to say things in English, its so strange.

Barack O-Brahma

The title of this entry, I cannot claim from my own cleverness, it is rather, that of João. Instead of using actual English words, he thought it would be fun to appropriate them into known Brazilian words. Brahma is a brand of beer here. Jokes aside, everyone here loves Obama, and it was a happy victory. I was sick this past week- like antibiotic, throat-almost-closed-on-me sick- and then I was allergic to the medication. As a result the picture on my Brazilian Federal Police ID is less than flattering- my cheeks were still sort of swollen. I am great now, everything is back to normal, and I am back to being ready for anything. Waking up last Wednesday to hear Obama won- priceless.

So, the party pictures in the latest set were from a University party called a cervejada. There were tickets, and its basically a huge open-bar party on a farm. A stage with a great band, beer tents, lots of people- muvuca. Isabela's friends are really great, I haven't had a bad reaction from anyone upon finding out I am from the states, which I thought was a bit surprising. Though, I guess it just proves the point that Brazilians really are the coolest, happiest people in the world. They certainly know how to throw a party. The music was a mix of samba beats and technorock, they called it Brazilian funk- it was great to dance to and everyone knew the words to the songs, which added to the awesomeness. One dance had moves that went with it- it was hilarious to watch; a sort of combination of humping to the beat and football huddle tiptoe excercises. They were telling me about all the "sayings" about these kinds of parties- that it is common to kiss 4 guys at one of them, that it is not a place to come with your boyfriend, where pretty much anything goes, and no one is judging. How great is that? Bottomline, cervejadas are great but I think it's mostly the people that are great.

I'm starting to appreciate the attention to detail and finishes that Marlene and the firm pay attention to. The resulting product is absolutely beautiful, every project that I have visited. Concrete construction here is so nice, monolithic in a good way. Clean lines, undisguised. Bricks here are square, kind of strange but they do their job. I really like working in metrics, inches are so tedious, especially in scaling things.

Until next time- tchau

New pics

http//picasaweb.google.com/monica.musialowski/Londrina2?authkey=gVzWoemTn2I#

down with the mayor

So remember how this Sunday everyone in Londrina had to vote to elect their mayor? And then the lying thieving former mayor got re-elected? Yeah... yesterday he got thrown into jail. Guess how we found out? Breaking TV news update? No. Radio? No. No, we asked some strangers in the car next to us on the way home what all the commotion was about. By commotion I mean- (1) traffic was packed on a Tuesday night around 10pm, (2) Everyone was honking their horns and waving limbs out the windows (3) Everyone was out in the streets; some had flags they were waving, (4) Fireworks could be seen and heard in the distance. So wondering what could possibly be worth so much noise and celebration we asked the guys in the car next to us what happened, to which they responded, (rough translation) 'Belinaci was nailed by the feds.' Justice is served- kinda.

Rewind to the beginning of the night... Tuesday nights are rib night at this place called Don Pablos. Made me think of 50cent wing night at Bdubs, but this was quite different. We sat outside, plastic lawn chairs and tables, super chill. There's five of us- me, Isa, and her three friends Laura and Juliana and Andres. So they order a kilo of ribs, and it comes out on this huge cutting board with garlic bread, tomato salad and this tropical potato thing, I think I've had it in Costa Rica, the name escapes me. These weren't like normal ribs, where its mostly bone- this was like a slab of meat with two big ribs on the bottom. Really really good- and I thought I was practically a vegetarian. No longer my friends. Desculpa. So, we eat all of this thing, and drink a bunch of beer to the point where Juliana wasn't embarrassed to speak English, and I wasn't embarrassed to speak Portuguese. Go figure. Fun thing I learned, friends call each other gatos(as)-cats. Gatinhos(as) to be cuter.

This saturday we're going to a huge party on a farm. Here in Universities, each department throws a big party and opens it up to the whole school. This one is hosted by the administration students, and is the most famous every year. Can't wait! Tchau gatos.

OH! Check this one out- its the hottest Brazilian commercial right now.
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=N7ODAx_CpdY

hot in here

Yeah, it is. Thank god for Tom's deodorant. Best thing I could have brought from the states. As far as the job goes, I've been working on churrasqueira details for a couple different projects, both of which I have now finished. Churrasqueiras are these outdoor kitchens where they make Brazilian barbeque which is absolutely delicious. João (I finally got Pai's name down) did it for us on Friday. And I thought I was a partial vegetarian, yeah right. Today I started to work on a design for a sign for a doctor's clinic, which is super fun, I never told anyone but I always kind of wanted to do that- they're simple, fun small scaled, its good times. I should open a sign company. Maybe.

So this weekend we went out Friday night, me and Isabela met up with Jordana and Fabio, Eloise and a bunch of their friends. We sat outside and drank beer and talked. They told me about these parties which they compared to frat parties from the movies at the university. In November Eloise and her neighbors are throwing a bikini party which she is crazy excited for. I'm a little scared, especially because bikinis here are all pretty scandalous. I don't even think they have boy shorts style. Interestingly enough though, they don't have thong underwear. Eloise was explaining how her friend from NY sends her thongs... the real story behind that one I have yet to find out. Also missing from Brazilian culture- peanut butter. I'm not that big a fan, but considering it was a staple in college, I think I'll miss it- maybe, later. So, needless to say, after we went through like, more liters than i could count we got hungry and took to the streets in search of drunk food. We settled for the closest place, Rob's- which was a hot dog place. Now, I love me some red hot lovers, but this- THIS was just, over the top. Hot dogs here are cut in half long ways, and then four or five pieces are put into this big bun, like twice as big as in the US, and they put mayo, tomatoes and shredded chicken in a little spicy sauce. Sounds... creative, I know but it was crazy good. The next morning was a bit rough, I couldn't eat anything until evening, and João and Marlene were concerned. It was cute. I loves them.

The best part of this weekend was probably going to grandmas house. Yeah I know, sounds awkward and boring and not like a lot of fun- but I'm finding learning the everyday normalcy here is just as much fun as going out and drinkin, which I am clearly not opposed to. So, Fabio- who by the way if I haven't mentioned is the epitome of a beautiful Brazilian man, he's a personal trainer, and his wife Jordana, is equally if not more beautiful. Anyway, he picks us up, and then Isabela, Jordana and him take turns voting, which is mandatory here. What a concept... Grandma's house was small but cute, with a stunning view of the countryside. I met Marlene's brother and his wife, both grandmas, there were lots of people all of who are super nice. We ate a lot of amazing food, played with Kodinha (the cutest dog ever) took naps, hung out- it was great. They were very excited that I voted for Obama (absentee) and intrigued by the electoral system, here it is just the popular vote. So the elections were for the Londrina mayor, and the current mayor got re-elected even though he stole millions of reais, according to João, he sweetalks the poor into voting for him; making promises he can't keep, whining about being attacked by other candidates... hm sound familiar? I hope not.

They still can't get over me drinking coffee with just milk. I think it might be a social faux pas not to use sugar.

bar alemão

So today, I'm recovering from a night of caipirinhas, Skol cervejas and a lot, a LOT of dancing. We went to a german bar in Londrina called ____haüss. I think the haüss in the name is probably the most German thing about this bar, apart from the 1 or 2 german beers they sometimes had. It reminded me of my parents basement, add a few jazzy lights some tables a dj and lots of interesting and fun people. So maybe its not so much like my basement...

Isabel, the one on the right drove me Jordana and her friend Eloise, (right to left) in their stealthlike black hatchback jetta. Most people like to drive stick here, also automatic is much more expensive. It was a girls night out Brazilian style, meaning there were plenty of boys we met up with. There was a lot of toasts and cheers- none as witty and well put as Marinas, but still it was nice, "Welcome to Brazil" "To Monica" "Salud" "A cerveja!" etc. I had an amazingly awesome time once I sucked down my first caipirinha. The word for drunkard here is pingusa- Pai likes to use it a lot. But that's just a sidenote I want to get back to talking about this bar and the people in it.

I've come to the tentative conclusion that stereotype stoners exist all over the world, and they are exactly the same. One of Isa's friends, Rafael was what made me think this. Long hair, beard, band T-shirt and ragged jeans. He's the guy that's super cute under all that hair, a little unkempt but not in a dirty way... the kind of kid you'd have a hard time keeping up with in a deep, intelligent discussion. He had this pipe- which from a distance looked exactly like an old grandpa's pipe only upon closer inspection... it was definitely a hashpipe (insert weezer song here). Super sneaky and smart- I'm sure we have something like it in the states, but its the first time I saw one this inventive. Also, the weed here smells really good- I think it was mixed with flavored tobacco. Delish.

Things I learned:

1. Well, lets start with what I already know- Being hit on in a bar is hit or miss, sometimes its a good thing if the person is attractive, sometimes its annoying when you're with your friends and the guys is a creep. Try being hit on in a foreign language... its pretty much just confusing and awkward, but only for me because I don't understand. I can't say I minded it too much though boys in Brazil are generally good looking, but there were of course, and contrary to popular belief exceptions. Not everyone can be beautiful, even if you are brazilian.

2. You can seriously bond with absolutely anyone when it comes to music. Its part of this amazing thread that ties every human being together. More specifically for me it was the Beatles and the Ramones. Eloise and I agreed that it's sacrilegious to not like them.

3. Caipirinhas although they're the national drink, are getting old for Brazilian young people- now they're making them with whiskey and fruit pureés.

4. A small fiat can plow through a block concrete wall... on the way home we passed by a storefront that someone had driven into. Don't drink and drive kids, where ever you are.

5. I'm not as afraid of bugs as I thought. There are a lot of bugs I've never seen before, which is maybe why I'm not as afraid of them? I killed a cockroach looking one on the floor in my room the last night... that's what I get for leaving my balcony wide open all day.

mais tarde colegas, tchau tchau

mais fotos aqui:http://picasaweb.google.com/monica.musialowski/Brazilia?authkey=_7fszRbggm0#

trabalho, jogo, coma,

Trabalho- work
So, working has been reallllly fun. I´ve done some reflected ceiling plans, and details-learned the words for glass, gypsum and wood in Portuguese pretty fast out of necessity. The language is coming to me, slowly but I´m nearly conversational, I still can´t understand everything- but I´m getting there I haven´t even been here a week so I´m proud I´m making some progress.

The office is Marlene, the head arquitect, and then Carolina who is a partner of the firm. Then there´s Josi, Samara, Emerson and me- the interns. All of us apart from Marlene who is my mom´s age are in our 20´s- it´s awesome. I´m working mostly with Carolina, her English is the best. Marlene is fun, she sings along a lot at work, and is super nice. There´s not really a sense of hierarchy or authority, everyone just does work to get the projects done. This works out; no one ever feels like a CAD monkey working here, we have a lot of fun. They listen to good music. Ams, you´ll be happy to know they like U2. They listen to some Brazilian stuff too, naturally. Also they like Indian drums, which of course I also love from my IASA days at IA (Indian Student Association and International Academy, my high school- for those of you who may not have known this). Apparently there´s some artist I forgot the name already that they like here.

So- the projects that they work on are all very design oriented, they even do product design, things like lamps and furniture- all very cool. The firm seems to have a lot of house projects, everything is very ´beautiful´. I think its the favorite english adjetive here. The designs are contemporary, minimalist but with attention to details through materials-very honest treatment of them, wood is meant to be wood, concrete concrete, stone is stone.

Jogo- play
Thursday night we went out to play pool at this snooker bar downtown while Marlene went to an inauguration dinner. It was so cool to hang out with Pai (I still don´t know the dad´s name, I´ll just call him pai- which means dad), Isabel (Marlene´s daughter) her boyfriend Bruno, Jordana(the other daughter) and her husband Fabio. I love that they hang out with their parents its so much fun. Pai is crazy, he talks to me in Portuguese all the time, and is commited to me learning it- and fast so I can make jokes in Portuguese with them. He´s definitely a character. There is also no hesitation with PDA, even in front of parents; I can´t even imagine kissing in front of my parents. Their version of pool is different, the balls are smaller and the white one doesn´t fit in the holes. You save ball number 15 for the end, its like an 8 ball but you place it on the edge of the wall. You play odds and evens- not solids and stripes. To start you put the balls into a trapezoid, a triangle with the point missing. The white ball goes right up against the trapezoid and to break you shoot backwards, with the thicker end of the stick. Craziness.

There´s a lot of the same shows on TV, lots of American music as well. Grey´s anatomy is super popular, so is friends and 2 and a half men. We watched Amelie the other day, one of me and Isabel´s favorites. She also likes the strokes, like me- what an awesome coincidence.

Coma- eat
To eat we had pastel (pronounced pas-teu, a fried pocket with cheese, ham and tomato, super good. They also had me try coxinhas (co-sheen-nias), a fried doughball with meat and onions inside. It was good- just really fried, almost too much for me to handle. Beer here is called Brahma, and the pop of choice is Guarana, both are great. Lunch here is the biggest meal, there´s always salad and meet, potatoes with cheese and onions and bacon, rice and beans are a staple. There´s so many fruits here- there´s not even names for all of them in English. The juices from them are my favorite. Theres this citrus fruit sort of like a tangerine but bigger which has the best juice ever. Yum. Mayonaise, Ketchup and Mustard are served with everything, even pizza. Coffee is very strong, but good.

So, that´s all I have time for now, sorry if I rambled, I´m very observant. Here is a link to pictures-
http://picasaweb.google.com.br/monica.musialowski/Londrina1#
Tchau tchau até logo.

The journey begins...

I still can´t believe I´m here. This place is absolutely gorgeous. I haven´t started work yet, that will be tomorow. Today, Isabel, the daughter of Marlene (the architect), took me to see downtown Londrina, though named after London, is actually nothing like it. Very south american- a lot reminds me of Costa Rica, though I hate to make such comparisons. Lots of painted concrete, tall skinny buildings, green everywhere, cobblestone avenidas, cute old men playing music on the street.