What a wonderfully wild whirlwind of three days. I will probably have to make this pretty short, because I'll be heading out very soon for a futbol game, wahoo!!!
Thursday involved a deliciously exhausting jog (in which we didn't get lost ONCE) and a long day of classes (about six hours). HOWEVER, the end of the day was actually super fun--our advisor surprised us with a Brazilian dance lesson with two amazing professional dancers!
We learned Samba, which I pretended I was really good at--
Thursday involved a deliciously exhausting jog (in which we didn't get lost ONCE) and a long day of classes (about six hours). HOWEVER, the end of the day was actually super fun--our advisor surprised us with a Brazilian dance lesson with two amazing professional dancers!
We learned Samba, which I pretended I was really good at--
what I thought I looked like on left, what I really looked like on right
We also learned this fab dance that one of my peers called "Soulja Boy on crack," a rather apt description. It's this choreographed dance to a super popular song that is a summer fad (it's summer in Brazil right now!!! #southernhemisphere) Unfortunately, I have literally no idea what the name of the song is, and even when I hear it and excitedly ask a Brazilian the name, they reply so quickly and with such Portuguese flourish that I'm like--
I don't understand what you just said???
Alas, I must listen to the random snatches of the song that I hear walking on the street and just try to bust out my moves on the sidewalk.
After the dance lesson, a few of us went to a nearby bar to celebrate Thursday with a traditional Brazilian drink called the caipirinha. Apparently, these sugar-alcohol-based drinks are v dangerous, because they're so sweet that you can't even notice how strong they are. All I know is that after half of one, I very willingly lost a round of "Odds Are" (a dare game that is very fun) and twerked on a wall for about 10 seconds. It was an experience.
pre-twerking, still happy and fresh-faced
We were all supposed to go out to a bar as a group that night, but I pled out, desperate for sleep. #boringAubs
Friday (TGIF) involved 8 (yes, 8) hours of class (okay, there was a lunch break, but still). Incredibly long day. Sam and I were almost late to class because our 15-minute breakfast turned into an hour-long breakfast in which we stuffed ourselves with coffee cake, fruit, toast, and mortadella sandwiches (okay, that last one was just me, because Sam is vegetarian). Totally worth it, though. I eat about twice as much as I should every single meal, tbh.
Class rocked, but during a lecture on immigration into Brazil, I found myself incredibly aware of my Californian-ness for the 1832019430243972nd time since entering college. My professor commented that the Chinese immigrated in droves into Brazil and she off-handedly threw in that "maybe" some went to the US as well.
Maybe?
Maybe?
Hello??? Gold Rush in California??? The fact that Chinese immigrants, enduring tragic harassment, abuse, and discrimination, built the entire transcontinental railroad and established themselves as incredibly successful citizens of the United States despite the prejudice and hardships facing them? Does Chinatown ring a bell??? Reduced to a "maybe."
People are incredibly ignorant of Californian history, and West Coast history in general, which is shocking to me, considering I spent my entire childhood learning about the establishment of missions, the California Gold Rush, Native American tribes occupying the West Coast, immigration into Northern California, etc. etc. I remember that my class on the History of American Capitalism freshman year spent two hours covering the French fur trade in the 16th century, while reducing the Gold Rush to a single bullet point in passing. Like yah k makes sense (not). Anyways, as a history major and die-hard Californian, I think I'll spend practically my entire life trying to prove to people that California is worth learning about (considering we contribute hella culture/money/awesomeness to American and global society) and worth loving.
Ugh such a random side-note, especially when I'm leaving for this game, like, five minutes ago, but I needed to reaffirm my love for the best coast.
forever, babe.
I actually also led a class discussion on Friday, which was extremely nerve-wracking considering the touchy subject and the passionate beliefs of many of my peers, but I couldn't help but insert a (perhaps naively) optimistic note into my conclusion. We were discussing all these problems that we've seen in the United States, India, and Brazil, and we all noticed that they overlapped a ton. Issues of class, problems with race and racism, seemed not identical but highly similar across the continents and cultures. Yes, these are global problems, but I argue that this may mean there are global solutions. I got super excited about the potential for gradual improvement around the world on these crazy complex challenges facing so many people that often seem impossible to solve. Who knows, maybe I can one day help in some way to improve something somewhere. (Hint: broad goals are the easiest ones to achieve.) Really though, the toughest and thorniest issues are the hardest but most satisfying to solve. And I truly believe that it's possible..
encouragement
Post-discussion, Sally and I enjoyed two (yes, two) consecutive lunches then returned to class for a super fascinating panel on urban justice. Post-class, it was the weekend (woohoo!!!) and I got super stoked for the imminent pregame and club scene that night.
But of course, in true Aubrey fashion, by 9 PM, I was like--
Kind of embarrassing, but like also, come on. That's just me. I didn't go out a single time in Israel, and I really don't regret it at all. Clubbing is just really, really, really not my thing. I've definitely conquered quite a bit of my social anxiety back at school (I'm practically queen of the PSK) (JK, pls don't blackball me because I said that) (love you guys the most), but random parties in random cities still make me hyperventilate. So, I will absolutely enjoy Sao Paulo nightlife for at least a few nights while I'm here.... But I'm also not gonna put myself in situations that make me super uncomfortable just for the sake of saying I went out. I think I've learned better than that over the past few years. Is this what maturity is like? EW.
potentially
I especially appreciated my decision after hearing that my friends were out until 5:30 in the morning.
literally me upon hearing this
I swear I had a second-hand panic attack.
This morning, Sam and I went on an awesome walking tour of Sao Paulo with three other friends and really enjoyed ourselves.
My favorite tidbits:
-that if you miss the last subway of the night because you've been drinking too much, then keep drinking until 4:40 AM when the first subway of the day comes around!!!
-the municipal library has an incredible large-scale artistic piece on the sidewalk in front of it. Using hundreds of small tiles in the actual concrete, the artist spelled out "library" in dozens of different languages!!!
-the Se Cathedral is one of the largest Neo-Gothic cathedrals in the entire world.
-the tallest building in the entire city of Sao Paulo is a really ugly office building that isn't open to the public--until now!!! Heineken is holding a lottery-style raffle that will allow select individuals to drink on the top floor. WOAH!
Here are a few pics from the tour:
the Municipal Theatre--beautiful building!
Se Cathedral!
A gigantic street market
Anyways, I'm about to be late for the awesome soccer game that we are attending tonight, so I must sign off--but I'm so loving Sao Paulo. I am already planning my next visit to Brazil, and I still have four weeks left here!! Fantastically refreshed, super excited, and incredibly grateful for this experience.
Love to you all,
AUBREY
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