Leaving, on a jet plane ...

I find myself leaving somewhere I want to stay, yet again. The new friends I've made here in São Paulo were trying to convince me to change my flight to stay a few more days ... it almost worked.

Since I last wrote I've been to a bar to watch a soccer match on big screen (yes, Brazilians really do love their soccer!). It was fun to be there and feel the energy and watch the police roll through the area after Brazil won on penalty kicks against Uruguay ... just in case people got out of hand in their celebrations. I only heard a few glasses break and saw one fight.

Next day I got to head to Campos do Jordão with Nil and her sister - a cute little town that has European roots. It felt like I was back in Germany! We walked around the streets, tasting yumminess along the way (including more chocolate covered strawberries!). Nil got this hot chocolate that was so think, her spoon stood straight up in it by itself. I couldn't do it.

Last night some new friends invited us to their home for a barbeque ... I laughed so much and came home so full. They tried to get me to dance to Michael Jackson ... in the end I danced to Daddy Yankee and 50 Cent. It's so funny to me that church leaders buy this music and their parents (in their 70s) dance to it, but they don't know what the people are talking about.

Today, Nil's mom made feijoada as my last meal ... ahhh, Brazilian food! It was so good, but I ate way too fast.

I fly out tonight at 10:30 ... sadness! It was nice to feel at "home" again.

I love strawberries.

In spite of being in bed for the last few days - vomiting, fever, with diarrhea and barely being able to leave my bed - I decided to head to the Festival de Morango yesterday. What can I say ... I have my weaknesses!

I knew that I couldn't eat much, so I had to decide well. Nil and I took a stroll through the fairgrounds, checking everything out. There were sausages on a stick ... sandwiches with chopped beef, pork and chicken and salsa ... mini pizzas ... natural fruit juices ... and everything you could possibly do to a strawberry. Strawberry kebabs, chocolate and brigadeiro covered strawberries, candied strawberries, strawberries and chantilly sauce, strawberry stroganoff, strawberry ice cream, strawberry crepes ... ahhh, heaven. I had to choose wisely, because I knew that no matter what I ate, it wasn't going to be on the list of things my sister said I should be eating to get over my bout with the stomach bug (bread, rice, bananas and Gatorade).

All I can say is that I chose the things that I would regret not eating. :o)

I thank God for strawberries.

I'm not sure why I can't add a title to these blog posts ...

It's Monday and I'm feeling better. In spite of the urgings of Nil's family, I didn't go to the doctor. I consulted my sis in Houston and she thinks that my body's had enough food and was revolting. I think I haven't eaten this much fast, fried food and dairy on the go since I left America and my body reacted to the "normal" food I ate before leaving Rio (baked potato with butter and chives and a grilled chicken breast ... although I am beginning to wonder at the connection with the times I've had food poisoning after eating chicken breasts).

So, today I'm going to try and go to the Strawberry Festival in spite of having slight Hershey Squirts (that would be diarrhea for those not familiar with the term). I love strawberries and can't imagine missing it while I'm here. I promise not to get too much sun so that I don't get dehydrated. I only have four more days to eat, I mean explore Brazil ... I promise to take it easy on the intestines.

I'm not sure what it is about foreign men and me when it comes to national religious monuments. I was in Rio with my friend Nil and we'd decided to pay the money to go visit one of the newly crowned 7 Wonders of the World - the statue of Christ the Redeemer. After all, when was I likely to be in Rio again anytime soon? So, we pay our 35 Reias and take the train up.

When we get to the top, there's a bunch of people up there ... and Christ is smaller than he looks from Copacabana. If you know me, you know that I'm everywhere, trying to get the photos that I see in my mind - a closeup of his face, a head-shot with his arms spanning the photo, a full body shot, etc. Well, I'm not paying attention, but there's a guy that's been talking to me in Portuguese. I'm not answering, so he tries English ... "Hello, how are you?" Like any good American, I answered, "Great, how are you?" To this all of his friends break out in some crazy cheers ... I guess after trying several languages, he's cracked the code.

After this, they kind of follow us around, eventually asking my friend in Portuguese how much it would cost for him and his friends to take pictures with me. Papparazzi! It was CRAZY, and once again I found myself standing with men who I couldn't understand, taking photo after photo. (The last time this happened was in Italy.) I didn't charge them this time either ... I figured if all they wanted was a photo of a black American they met in Rio, the least I could do was oblige. (Especially since I was too chicken to ask for photos with some of the extremely beautiful Brazilian men I saw in Rio ... sooooooo many missed opportunities. I really gotta work on that!)

Besides this craziness, Rio was amazing! We stayed in a slum area that wasn't too dangerous ... but we couldn't stay out after 8 or 9 for safety reasons. We hit all the toursity spots - Copacabana, Ipanema, Barra, Pão de Açucar, Cristo. We spent a small fortune on buses and taxis, but I decided before I came that I was going to pay whatever it cost, because this may be my only time here. Sieze the day!

So, I'm back in São Paulo for a few more days before flying out on Thursday. I was supposed to go to the Strawberry Festival yesterday, but instead spent the day in bed after throwing up several times on the bus ride back. I'm not sure if it was a virus or something I ate. Either way, it seems to be passing, so all is well. Maybe I can go to the festival tomorrow ... I hear that they have live music and chocolate dipped strawberries!

Cowboy memories

I went to a caipera (cowboy) party last night with some friends of Nilceia (she had to speack at a church service). One of the guys spoke basic English, so I spoke Spanish when we couldn't understand each other and met in the middle that way. It was fun to be in the presence of church people who knew how to act crazy when the occassion arose.

When we arrived at the farm, there were a group of men building a prison out of tree branches. Apparently, people can turn in "wanted posters" with your name on it, and the local sheriffs chase you down and carry you (literally) off to prison. I only had to go once. :o)

After sampling lots of yummy food prepared by the older women of the church (who I got to meet and greet with kisses before I could touch any of it), there were games like the three-legged race, the ring toss and tug-of-war that took place. Did I mention the mechanical bull? Yeah, I rode it.

Then there was a traditional square dancing type of thing that we did as part of a mock wedding ceremony. It was fun! At times I had no idea what I was doing, but my partner told me (in Portuguese) what to do when directions changed.

So, all this to say it was a good time and I'm glad I did it! Brazilians know how to have fun ... and now I'm off to Rio de Janeiro for a week.