Fine Art, Facial Expressions, and Feeling Fine

I'm feeling extra ~cultural~ and ~sophisticated~ after two days of enjoying the arts... and suffering through a few hours of class in the meantime.

Yesterday was my last Monday of class in Brazil (yay!), and it was actually pretty cool. It involved each of the students standing in front of the class and providing a four-minute presentation on the topic of our Comparative Analysis projects.

Have I described the CA project yet? Probably, maybe, who knows, but I changed everything about my topic, so I'll re-explain. Our final project for one of our classes in the program is a 3,000 word comparative essay in which we (you guessed it) compare a certain phenomenon that occurs in all three countries which we visit. We can choose almost any aspect of the city, as long as it is "observable." This has posed a huge prob for me, because I tend to trust secondary sources, scholarly research, and academic analysis more than my own eyes. The formula has been changed: instead of using experts' ideas to formulate my own opinion, I'm supposed to just watch people walk around, make up something on the fly, then find a paper or two that support my thesis.

Yikes. I have so many academic, moral, and personal issues with this approach. I hate that after only a month in each location, with just a few hours of observation, I'm expected to make some grand statement about a city, its culture, and its people without supporting evidence. With all of my past papers in college, I've felt like I'm contributing, at least in a small way, to the scholarly world. I feel like my work actually means something and that I believe what I'm writing. This is the first time in a long time that I feel like I'm writing a paper just for the sake of getting a grade and that I would legit be embarrassed for a professor or academic to read it and see how little real evidence there is.

my freshman year writing teacher if she saw my essay

There's also the discomfort in literally observing citizens of a city going about their daily lives and attempting to critique them. Like, who am I to judge this guy for littering on the side of the street??

Actually, wait no... that's pretty effed up... I'm gonna pick up that piece of trash for him and give him evil eyes from afar.

do your part, sir

But it really does make me feel voyeuristic and lofty and self-important to engage in this kind of research.

So clearly, this is a really fun assignment for me. And it will be even more fun if my professors find this post!!! In case of that, this isn't actually Aubrey writing, it's somebody else...

Despite all of the complaints of my conscience and my academic horror, I have indeed settled upon a topic. I'm examining mothers' discipline and sons' obedience in an attempt to capture a sense of gender dynamics in each city that I visit. My fascination with feminism and misogyny, as well as my cluelessness about male children since I grew up without brothers, led me to believe this could be a cool thing to study. So, I've been creeping around parks, taking notes about little five-year-old boys.

Not creepy at all, right???

My presentation went well enough, though, as I managed to suppress my apprehensions and get impassioned about the issues.

After class, a few of us walked to a really cool bookstore near our school to look at some English paperbacks. Plus, it was GIGANTIC. I'm literally such a nerd.

so many floors of books!!!

Though I have this aversion to spending money on books, since I have access to the second largest library in the United States behind the Library of Congress, as well as my adorable home library, I couldn't help but buy this beaut.

YES, it is a collection of short stories about Orange County, California!!! I absolutely could not restrain myself. I figure that since I read a book on each plane ride about the country to which I'm flying, I couldn't ask for a better piece of fiction to accompany on the long flight back to the US in just a month and a half.

Side note--a month and a half. WOW. I am over half-way done with this program and with my international status. So bittersweet.

Back to books: it never takes too long for my homestay family and roommate to notice that I'm a complete bookworm. The other day, when I was reading at the kitchen table, absentmindedly ignoring all distractions for hours on end, my homestay sister commented (slightly alarmed) that I read "a lot." I mean, yeah, sometimes I choose to read my book instead of go out to a club or interact with humans, but that doesn't make me a loser, right? I have lots of friends...

Quite a few of them just happen to be fictional.

I did finish my book last night, a Pulitzer Prize winner called The Goldfinch, which I totes recommend if you're into mystery/drama/art. I stayed up way too late flipping through its final pages, though, and could barely drag myself out of bed this morning into my second-to-last clean outfit (I really need to do laundry).

Luckily for me, today's lecture and classtime were only supposed to last two hours... But of course, it went an extra hour and a half.

I've been told by a fair number of people that subtlety is not my strong suit and that my facial expressions are quite entertaining. I literally don't even notice that my face is moving. Even when I think I'm sitting there, hiding my impatience well and looking super interested, like--

It looks more like--

I promise, I don't even feel my face contorting into my grimaces, and I always think I'm just blinking when in fact I'm dramatically rolling my eyes! Well, I guess the good thing is that if it looks like I'm paying attention to you and that I'm interested in what you're saying.. I actually am!!!

After finishing class (finally), I waltzed off by myself to MASP, the Sao Paulo Museum of Art. Surprisingly and fortunately, admission is free on Tuesdays, and I entered the museum excited for what I'd been told is a pretty cool museum.

Guys, "pretty cool" is an understatement.

This place was incredible.

The museum is set up chronologically, so that you wander through the paintings and sculptures not according to geographical location nor artist but simply according to the year of its creation. The artwork also stood independently, held up by subtle glass supports, so that the museum felt really interactive and open, since the paintings weren't hanging flatly on a wall.

I wandered between the paintings, examining the work first then stepping around to its back to examine the information on the artist and the name of the painting. Oh my god, it was astounding. Rembrandt, Picasso, Manet, Monet, Titian, El Greco, Rivera... It was a dream come true. It was also a pretty small space, so I was actually able to see and appreciate every single piece. I think it's my favorite art museum that I've ever had the opportunity to attend. WOW IT WAS SO FREAKING COOL!!! Having just finished a 771-page novel about the beauty of art, I also felt primed to savor the preciousness, precision, and skill in every work. It was just this awesome collision of the right timing, the right mood, and the right price, ayyy.

I headed back to my home and quickly crashed into bed for a nap.

Upon waking, I ate dinner, watched TV, chatted on the phone with my dad, and played with baby Maria Luisa.

Apparently, though, as happy and good as I feel, I don't quite look it... One of the program directors asked me today if I felt alright since I'm looking "pale and tired."

bye

I mean, maybe it's because I'm kept in class every single day from 9 to 5 and I never get to see the sun and also I stay up way too late reading my book??? But this only heightened my fervor to get to Rio de Janeiro beaches ASAP (four more days!).

Then, my host sister walked in on me eating a tin of cookies around 10 PM (you know, a normal snack) after eating four pieces of toast with Dulce de Leite (okay, less normal now), and asked worriedly, "are you alright? you're eating a lot. are you pregnant?"

ABSOLUTELY NOT, WOW NO, NOT EVEN, NO NO. I almost choked on that eighth cookie that I was inhaling. But apparently I have acquired the eating habits of a human that is growing another human inside of her. That's extremely unworrying and completely fine. My responses have looked a little like--

Because seriously.... I'm fine. Like I really am! I am happy, and satisfied, and apparently kind of hungry. But I'm really enjoying myself and looking forward to Rio in a few days and getting this second midterm season over with! Hopefully, I won't be called "pale" after my week in paradise... But I'll probably still be eating a lot.

Gotta start reading another book, even though it's midnight!!

Buh bye,

Aubs

Babies, Boston Bakery, and LOLLA BRASIL!!!

I always intend to write a post every day during the weekends, but I always end up getting distracted and having MUCH too much fun until I scramble to transcribe all of the memories on Sunday night.

But what a weekend to remember! A late start to classes on Friday allowed for restful sleeping in and three snoozed alarms as I tried over and over to wake up for an early workout. Though I eventually got to that exercise, it took me a few hours to get to that point. Up to then, I was doing--

--while dozing. YAWN.

The three hours of class that we had on Friday felt way more like the college norm that I've gotten used to back at school. Sally and I skidaddled back home and I enjoyed the beautiful sunset views before we headed to a host family get-together.

Because I'm a loser, here are some sky pics.

breathtaking

you can see the sun, moon, clouds, and sunset, OMG

For the first time, the entire host fam was together--including my host mom, Maria, my host sisters Liza and Lara (wahoo, the Australian is home!), my host niece, Maria Luisa, and my roommate, Sam!! I loved introducing them to all of my friends and showing off the adorable Maria Luisa to every single person. THAT'S RIGHT LOSERS, I GET TO LIVE WITH THE MOST ADORABLE BABY IN THE WORLD.

sucks for all of your boring homestayzzz

We ate delicious homemade Brazilian food, enjoyed conversation starters (and I almost understood some of the Portuguese answers!!!), and chilled out.

I honestly continue to be amazed by humans' ability to communicate even without common verbal language. Deciphering tone, watching subtle facial expressions, reading gestures... It's so cool to converse with other and find that I understand their points and ideas even without completely understanding every word that is said.

Anyway, here's the adorable host fam.

#girlpower, am i right?

Though most of my peers chose to head out to some bars and clubs in order to rageeeee, I accurately assessed my energy store for the weekend and chose to get right to sleep. Because Saturday was...... LOLLAPALOOZA!!!!!!

this is from Lolla Brasil 2013, weeee

After dressing in my most ~hippie~ attire for the "Woodstock of our generation" (trademarked by Sally Lindsay), I dragged my group of amazing friends to a brunch place called Boston Bakery. 

awhhh!

Like duh, I chose it, because underneath my rowdy and loud disgust for Bahston, maybe at heart, my soul leaps a little when I see this--

The restaurant had salads named after Boston schools and paninis named after famous Boston locations, and I almost cried looking at all of the incredible Bostonian decor. Sally, a born-and-bred New Yorker, showed some slight disgust for the Red Sox jersey framed next to our table that swelled from minor disdain to outspoken, loudly yelled loathing for the city and the baseball team. By the end of our visit, Sally had snagged the jersey and laid it on the ground, "where it deserves."

From brunch, we hopped in an Uber to get to the Lolla racetrack. The drive, which took a legitimate hour, actually was pretty fun. Our driver allowed us to blast American music and jam out while yelling lyrics wholeheartedly. The highlight of our ride was singing alongside a car full of Brazilians, also heading to Lolla and listening to the same radio station!!! We met them for real after both of our drivers pulled over for a quick bathroom break.

flower crowns are an international phenomenon

The concert was unbelievable. We watched Of Monsters and Men, Halsey, Mumford and Sons, Die Antwoord (which was literally a nightmare--like I actually thought I had fallen asleep and entered an evil unconscious world), and Marina and the Diamonds (LOVE THEM). In Sally's words, which I keep stealing because they're beautiful, it was a generational odyssey. I felt like I was floating on the lyrics of my favorite songs.

And here are some pics!

flower crown and flash tat--a true festival attendee

Mumford and Sons!

me and bestpalsalgal

so close to Marina's stage!!!

the cover for our next album

In our state of music-induced joy, we decided that we could handle taking public transportation back to our homes. It took two hours, but hey, we handled it pretty well. Not having a seat on the subway back after hours of standing at a music festival was only this frustrating--

kind of kidding

Sally and I stuffed our faces with leftover dinner at 1 AM upon our return home and promptly passed out.

I woke up this morning feeling completely refreshed but with a swollen ankle due to an unfortunate meeting between my leg and a slamming car door (ouch). I iced it with the Brazilian version of frozen peas, aka a bag of pre-made pao com queijo (bread with cheese). I spent the entire day--ENTIRE DAY--reading, doing homework, and watching numerous Netflix movies.

Honestly, though I had the opportunity to attend a fascinating political street protest--which I absolutely know I would have loved--I'd basically depleted my ability to withstand crowds, loud noises, and walking for the weekend, so I decided to chill with bebe Maria Luisa for the afternoon.

Seriously, what a fantastic weekend. I loved being with my friends, with my host family; I loved enjoying the gorgeous weather and wearing a fun 60's inspired outfit and wrapping myself in the festival music; I adored my freedom and independence and my late teens/early twenties euphoria. My past few months have felt like the epitome of my youth, the physical manifestation of a fulfilled wanderlust, and the breathless wonder of appreciating the world. GOD I'M SO HAPPY!

...... Just remembered I have class tomorrow and that I have to make a presentation.

Dangit.

Well... Good night, mah dears.

Peace, love, soul,

Aubrey Noelle

Rain, Rain, Come and Stay

Coming off of two normal days--at least, as normal as two days can be when you're travelling the world with a program meant to shatter your ideals and preconceived notions about culture, politics, and humanity.

Yesterday, we focused our entire class on water and the water crisis in Sao Paulo. While the rains in the past few months have all but mitigated the dangers of drought, Brazil was facing a drastic water shortage not so long ago. Interestingly, this drought was actually compared to California's drought quite a bit--scientists from both my state and from Brazil met in order to discuss different solutions and issues faced.

Like how cool is that? The world sometimes feels so small, in a wonderful way. Every time somebody mentions California or I see someone wearing Hollister (which is, like, every other minute), I get warm little butterflies inside.

It makes me feel like everyone loves my favorite place in the whole wide world almost as much as I do!

One of my favorite things about Sao Paulo is the nightly thunderstorms. They always begin right around sunset, and I lay in bed listening to the pouring rain and crackling thunder. The deep rumbles rattle the windows and reverberate through my room. It's the epitome of coziness, cuddling under my blankets and listening to the fierce rage of nature right outside. It's lovely!! Today, I actually got out of bed (shocking) to watch the light flash and scurry across the sky. I watched with awe and appreciated the stunning view.

This morning, I was treated to another beautiful view that nature gifted to me when I had to wake up at 5:40 AM. (I know, dreadful--check this out though.)

look at this sunrise!!

only a few moments later!!

I was absolutely stunned. I stood by the window, sipping my coffee, watching the sky welcome the sun, warmly, joyfully, lovingly.

The reason I was up at such an ungodly hour was actually pretty cool: my class had the opportunity to visit a hydroelectric plant in a city about ~2 hours from Sao Paulo's city center. After being surrounded by crowds of buildings (beautiful, yes, but somewhat suffocating), the dense rainforest-y trees and rolling mountain views totally reinvigorated me. It was stunning!!!

terrible pic through the bus window, but hopefully you get the gist

The plant, named Henry Borden Hydroelectric Power Plant, provides power by drawing water from the Billings Reservoir (funny, because I'll be spending my entire summer in Billings, Montana! small world). They produce electricity through some pretty complicated but v impressive technology.

oooo

ahhhhhh

Our group embraced the hardhat/goggle/ear-plug lifestyle--Sally and I especially.

are we cute or nah

The plant also had a dog (stray? pet? who knows?), so naturally...

You just can't keep me away from 'em.

I basically passed out on the ride back to school, missing the gorgeous forest views, but I'm happy knowing that I'll be back in the wild in just two weeks for spring break! #thefalls

I chilled for the rest of the afternoon, watching Netflix and hanging out with my host family. Stoked because my newest host sister (the youngest daughter of my host mom) returns home from a study abroad program in Australia tonight!!! Don't know if I'll actually stay awake until 11 PM to meet her--but still very exciting.

Anyways, this is super short, probs because I'm tired and distracted and restless for the weekend, but I am truly and seriously loving Brazil. 

Buh bye for now,

Aubrey

Street Art and "Sickness"

My third week of Brazilian classes started slowly. Getting out of bed Monday morning looked (and felt) like

do I have to get up?

I got my act together, though, and crawled out from under my blankets, guzzled down a few cups of coffee, and dozed on the bus on the way to what would be a fascinating (and super unique) day of learning. The day began with an hour-long lecture on graffiti and street art in Sao Paulo... However, my professor found a way to talk for an entire 45 minutes without mentioning the words "street art" or "graffiti" even once.

It is, though. It is.

LUCKILY, Sally, Izzy, and Austin gave a fascinating twenty-minute talk on the subject, so I actually learned quite a bit about the street art movement in the city.

Me cheering for Sally in class

The brief review that the student group presented laid the groundwork for a fascinating panel of four graffiti artists and taggers from Sao Paulo. They described their backgrounds, which were mostly impoverished and frustrating, and spoke about how tagging and graffiti allowed them to express their identity and existence in a city that strives to ignore them. TBH I'm never really one for breaking the rules--I would rather carry a gum wrapper for 20 minutes than throw it on the ground, and I call the bank when they accidentally deposit someone's check in my account--but the position of these artists fascinated me, and I yearned to learn more about their drive, passion, and goals.

Luckily, because I'm a student on IHP, I had the chance.

Following lunch, my class split into small groups, each with a different street artist leader, and ventured into Sao Paulo. Our destination, Sao Mateus, is a district in Sao Paulo that is about ~an hour and a half from the city center. We stepped off the bus around 3:15 PM, crowded under umbrellas in attempts to avoid the rain. Though the sky was a stormy gray, and the streets were muffled with a damp pallor, the walls of the city shone with a bright vibrancy. We could already see the work of the group of our leader, Fernando.

one of the first pieces completed by Fernando's group, OPNI

So bright and beautiful; a collaboration with a Canadian artist

An artwork completed by three different women--each one contributed one of the figures!

one of my personal favorites--a woman inspired and strengthened by her ancestors. her arm tattoo reads "luta," or "fight," as in, fight for your rights

Though the neighborhood was impoverished, and though some of the paint was beginning to peel, the area felt alive. Fernando explained the excitement and pride evoked by this art in the inhabitants. Trash littered some of the streets, and buildings were a little bit shabby, but the art was beautiful and it made the residents happy. Some of the images also conveyed messages. This one for example--

Reads, "return our childhood." Another work, which showed the Corinthians soccer stadium (in which I actually watched a game) and several Brazilians engaged in illicit and dangerous activities, protested the monetary investment in the World Cup and the Olympics while the people of the country were starving and suffering. 

I tend to express myself through writing (hence my numerous love letters to boys who *shockingly* tend not to return the sentiment), but I have always expected and admired artists' abilities to convey a message through images and without words. Hence, the street art and graffiti of Sao Mateus enthralled and inspired me.

Fernando also expressed how much the people loved to get their houses painting. Whenever they see members of his group, OPNI, walking through the streets holding spray cans and paint, they run out of their homes, excitedly requesting images on their empty buildings. Unfortuantely, Fernando said, they simply didn't have the time to acquiesce to these demands--though someday, they hope to cover every blank wall in Sao Mateus with color.

Sao Mateus, in progress

Fernando then led us to Sao Mateus em Movimento, an organization dedicated to the empowerment and education of neighborhood children. To be completely honest, I almost cried listening to Fernando's description of this center that is so integral to the well-being and future of the youth in this area. "These kids," he explained, "walk around with their arms crossed, and their eyes blank." They do not have goals, or faith in their own futures. Sao Mateus em Movimento aims to inspire children by teaching skills, by providing a space to do homework and read, and by giving them options. 

This, this, this. This, I truly and honestly believe, is the solution to so many problems, and here are members of a community, acting without the help of an ambivalent government and instead on their own initiative, working to give children better lives tahn they would otherwise have. It inspired me, and meeting the center's workers sparked a drive in me to participate in a center like this one back home. I honestly believe that places like Sao Mateus em Movimento have the potential to change so many lives. I was obviously v. impassioned.

That passion didn't fade even a little bit during the thirty-minute bus ride or hour-long subway ride, with two transfers, back home. The half-mile walk in the pouring rain may have damped it slightly, though.

A delicious, hot dinner was waiting for me at home, though, as were a pair of super cute sandals from my host family!!!!

they even have a Brazilian flag on the strap!!!

I love them a ton, and I love that my host family gifted them to me!

Though I got to sleep pretty early last night, I woke up this morning exhausted. I decided to throw in the towel and plead ill to take the day off.

Though I had huge plans for my afternoon--including Soul Cycle, a jog, and a trip to the library--I instead basically just laid in bed and read my book.

Classic me.

I did, however, go to the neighborhood farmer's market with my host sister and her gorgeous daughter! I had so much fun marvelling at the fruit stands selling exotic and unfamiliar produce, including the "caqui," which a kind seller let me taste. 

(To remember the name of this fruit, I had to google "fruit that looks like a tomato" then translate "persimmon" into Portuguese.)

I also ate two unbelievable "pastels," which, as I may have described before, as fried dough pockets of meat and cheese. I also drank this unbelievable concoction of sugar cane juice, pineapple, and lime. After trying these out-of-this-world treats, I was like--

I literally forgot food could taste this delicious.

I also had the chance to hold and play with Maria Luisa, my six-month-old host niece, and I only wished I had a baby for like, five minutes.

Then I think about the crying and how much I love sleep and how impatient/selfish I am, not to mention my perpetual singlehood, and I'm like,

However, I showered my love on Maria Luisa and even gave her a little souvenir from back home--

I spent a good part of the afternoon chatting with my host mom (Maria) and host sis (Liza) about food, dating, and bad words in English. It was such a relaxing and fun and wonderful day, and I'm oh-so happy I was "sick."

Now I just have to muster the motivation to return to class tomorrow... ugh. For now, though, I'll start a new book, watch Netflix, and gain ten more pounds during a delicious dinner. My spring break self is begging me to put down the fork and pick up a dumbbell, but I'll deal with my jiggly consequences in a week once I really start panicking about my bikini.

Ciao, amigas (it is, after all, International Women's Day),

Aubrey