FEB26

I was invited to the pre-carnival party that the engineer students made.  I went to eat with my roommate Maira  and her friends from the biology department.  In the restaurant I saw that if I got meat in my plate it will cost me more than normal, I thought this was interesting.  

After eating, I talked  to one of Maira’s friend Nubia. She told me how she was learning Spanish and thinks Spanish is a beautiful language.  Also, she wondered what do I think of Brazil?   I answered that Brazil has really caring people who is willing to take a lot of their time to help a person.   Moreover, she told me she is from Rio de Janeiro and never assisted to carnival in Rio de Janeiro.  But this time she will go with my roommate, me and other friends to Rio for the carnival. ( I am happy to see carnival rally and more.)  Once we arrived to the pre-carnival, I saw lots of people in groups talking to each other and others throwing  small papers  to people and drinking beer and others were dancing.   One of Maira’s friends, Mari was signing fast and later she sang slowly for me.  I  repeated what she sang and she was happy that I tried to singing  in Portuguese.  It was great, I was able to understand a little more Portuguese.  Later, more people were gathering in this park. Mari told me that the band will start playing and when there are more people, the people will go on the street stopping the traffic and then return to the park.   While I was waiting for that to happen I talked to my friend Sergio, he was my Portuguese tutor in Beloit College.  After that, I met more people and also I met Mari’s cousin.  Mari’s cousin  thought I was lost and that I did not understand a lot of Portuguese but then I reply to her in Portuguese saying  that I understood what she said, it just I do not know what she says when she talks fast. Later, I felt my head was spinning when I heard all the people who surround me talking in Portuguese. I was overworking my head I think.  I felt I was set aside for not being able to understand the slang Portuguese. I was so tired but I enjoyed the pre-carnival. Althought, all the people was nice I was just being a little down for not being able to express my own ideas and not have difficulty speaking.  I loved the pre-carnival party.  I sometimes do not know how to greet people, by giving them two kisses in the cheek or just tell them hi. But I knew in Brazil people greet by giving two kisses on  the cheek.  So I say goodbye to the person and she dropped her beer on the floor, I was embarrassed for that and left saying goodbye in a hurry.  What a day, it was wonderful.