Hey friends and family,
Yes it is 4:27 am our time and I am wiiiiide awake. That's because we're leaving the hotel in half an hour to go to the airport! We're flying out of Curitiba to Rio de Janeiro at 7:30. We'll be there until Monday evening, and won't have internet access. Wish us luck!
Shout out to little sister in Rome: chin up kid, watch your belongings closely, I love you!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Caipirinha
In case you folks at home have been curious about this "Caipirinha" that Jen and I constantly refer to - here is a great instructional page about the cocktail, lots of photos and detailed directions: http://www.instructables.com/id/Recipe-for-a-Caipirinha-cocktail---the-famous-cach/
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Getting to know Curitiba
We've been in Curitiba since Sunday and its been pretty low key over all.
On Monday morning we dropped our laundry off (mine cost $R 35 for 7 kilos of clothes) and went to see a travel agent. The travel agent wasn't as helpful as we would have liked. We met with the rest of the group around 1:30 to go to a lecture at URBS, a specialized transportation planning and operating unit which is responsible for administering the renowned bus rapid transit system in Curitiba. The lecture was in Portuguese and was a some what technical explanation of the system. We rode the busses to and from the lecture - so overall it was a good introduction to the city.
The basic concept of these busses is as follows (I'm not a transportation person, and the lecture was in Portuguese so this is what I gathered, bare with me!). The streets here have three flows of traffic - two are for cars and run only in one direction (these may be one, two, or three lanes), the third flow is in the center of the two single direction lanes and is exclusively for busses (there are two center lanes for busses going in each direction.) Riders enter the busses from tube shaped terminal things that facilitate rapid entry for two reasons. Number one, passengers pay their fare before entering the tube, and number two the raised platform of the tube station allows people to walk right onto the bus - therefore time is saved when the bus arrives because people dont have to wait in line to board during the cumbersome paying fare and climbing the stairs process. They're two small innovations but they make a big difference in the time it takes for everyone to board - its similar to boarding a subway. I didn't take this photo but this is what the tube stations look like:
After our lecture at URBS we went off on our own in search of food. I had a really disgusting "cheeseburger" at a little restaurant we found (that only served variations of cheeseburgers). It had chunks of bacon fat on it, two tablespoons of mayonaise, and a piece of ham! Ew. After this gross cuisine experience I decided it was definitely time to go grocery shopping so I would be able to cook my own food in our apartment. Jen, myself, Shani, and Elli ventured to the supermarket which is in the neighborhood of 10 blocks away. I had never been so happy to be in a grocery store before. I got stuff to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (finding peanut butter was a mission in itself), sliced chicken breast and sliced cheese, cookies, boxes of milk (weird), tuna, some veggies, and french bread. The other girls bought a lot more than I did so walking home was also a mission. Oh well, at least we'll be fed!
Today at 8:50 am we were abruptly informed that we had ten minutes to be downstairs and ready to go. I of course was still in bed because I was under the impression we had to be ready to go at 9:30 - woops. So I rushed around like a chicken with my head cut off and managed to get downstairs with barely enough time to throw back a cup of coffee and steal some mini croissants for the road. Jen and I lamented the lack of to-go cups in this country - what's up with that!
So after our attempt at breakfast, we boarded a little bus that took us to IPPUC - where it all began! IPPUC is the Instituto de Pesquisa e Planejamento Urbano de Curitiba - the institute for planning and research for Curitiba. We enjoyed a lecture (in English!) that gave us a great overview of the evolution of Curitiba's planning. It was great, but Eric and I struggled to stay awake - we're not morning people. After the lecture we walked around the premises of the IPPUC - it didn't feel like a municipal building - it felt like a woodland retreat!
After exploring IPPUC we had a few hours for lunch. Most of the group stopped at the first por kilo restaurant we saw (por kilo is like a buffet where they weigh your plate and charge based on the amount you eat) - but Dan and I were tired of this type of cuisine so we ended up walking for another half hour looking for alternative lunch options. We passed a lot of interesting looking (possibly German influenced?) little buildings, a huge stately looking high school, the public park, the mall, some huge sculptures and monuments - it was a good walk but didn't yield any better food options. We finally settled on a little lanchonette and ate empanadas, and then decided to yield to... the golden arches. When we passed the mall we saw a huge advertisement for McDonalds so we figured we could kill two birds with one stone - find a food court and find a new camera for Dan (his unfortunately kicked the bucket). No dice on the camera, but on the top floor (there must have been 6 levels?) of the mall we both found what we were looking for: Dan a Subway and me a cafe with iced cappucino (a rarity here). This made the long walk worth it!
After this mall adventure we met up with the group at the Secretaria Municipal de Urbanismo where we had another lecture about the zoning techniques in the city. The zoning here is pretty typical. There is a density hierarchy that allows greater density along the transportation corridors.
When the lecture was over we started walking in the direction of the hotel but took a short detour through the public park. Curitiba has many public parks, but most are on the periphery of the city. This park had facilities for bicycles, lots of people hanging out and eating icecream - and best of all... animals!! There was one caged area that featured THE WEIRDEST CREATURES - there was a pelican that was the size of a human. This is not an exaggeration, it was crazy. There was also an egret in this enclosure along with another odd looking bird that continually bent its neck all the way back so its head was touching its lower body - so odd!
Tonight was pretty uneventful - just took a nap and relaxed in the room and made myself a delicious american style sandwich for dinner. Tomorrow we have a lecture in the morning on housing and a tour of settlements in the afternoon. Sorry this post is so long with no pictures! Thanks for still reading!
On Monday morning we dropped our laundry off (mine cost $R 35 for 7 kilos of clothes) and went to see a travel agent. The travel agent wasn't as helpful as we would have liked. We met with the rest of the group around 1:30 to go to a lecture at URBS, a specialized transportation planning and operating unit which is responsible for administering the renowned bus rapid transit system in Curitiba. The lecture was in Portuguese and was a some what technical explanation of the system. We rode the busses to and from the lecture - so overall it was a good introduction to the city.
The basic concept of these busses is as follows (I'm not a transportation person, and the lecture was in Portuguese so this is what I gathered, bare with me!). The streets here have three flows of traffic - two are for cars and run only in one direction (these may be one, two, or three lanes), the third flow is in the center of the two single direction lanes and is exclusively for busses (there are two center lanes for busses going in each direction.) Riders enter the busses from tube shaped terminal things that facilitate rapid entry for two reasons. Number one, passengers pay their fare before entering the tube, and number two the raised platform of the tube station allows people to walk right onto the bus - therefore time is saved when the bus arrives because people dont have to wait in line to board during the cumbersome paying fare and climbing the stairs process. They're two small innovations but they make a big difference in the time it takes for everyone to board - its similar to boarding a subway. I didn't take this photo but this is what the tube stations look like:
After our lecture at URBS we went off on our own in search of food. I had a really disgusting "cheeseburger" at a little restaurant we found (that only served variations of cheeseburgers). It had chunks of bacon fat on it, two tablespoons of mayonaise, and a piece of ham! Ew. After this gross cuisine experience I decided it was definitely time to go grocery shopping so I would be able to cook my own food in our apartment. Jen, myself, Shani, and Elli ventured to the supermarket which is in the neighborhood of 10 blocks away. I had never been so happy to be in a grocery store before. I got stuff to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (finding peanut butter was a mission in itself), sliced chicken breast and sliced cheese, cookies, boxes of milk (weird), tuna, some veggies, and french bread. The other girls bought a lot more than I did so walking home was also a mission. Oh well, at least we'll be fed!
Today at 8:50 am we were abruptly informed that we had ten minutes to be downstairs and ready to go. I of course was still in bed because I was under the impression we had to be ready to go at 9:30 - woops. So I rushed around like a chicken with my head cut off and managed to get downstairs with barely enough time to throw back a cup of coffee and steal some mini croissants for the road. Jen and I lamented the lack of to-go cups in this country - what's up with that!
So after our attempt at breakfast, we boarded a little bus that took us to IPPUC - where it all began! IPPUC is the Instituto de Pesquisa e Planejamento Urbano de Curitiba - the institute for planning and research for Curitiba. We enjoyed a lecture (in English!) that gave us a great overview of the evolution of Curitiba's planning. It was great, but Eric and I struggled to stay awake - we're not morning people. After the lecture we walked around the premises of the IPPUC - it didn't feel like a municipal building - it felt like a woodland retreat!
After exploring IPPUC we had a few hours for lunch. Most of the group stopped at the first por kilo restaurant we saw (por kilo is like a buffet where they weigh your plate and charge based on the amount you eat) - but Dan and I were tired of this type of cuisine so we ended up walking for another half hour looking for alternative lunch options. We passed a lot of interesting looking (possibly German influenced?) little buildings, a huge stately looking high school, the public park, the mall, some huge sculptures and monuments - it was a good walk but didn't yield any better food options. We finally settled on a little lanchonette and ate empanadas, and then decided to yield to... the golden arches. When we passed the mall we saw a huge advertisement for McDonalds so we figured we could kill two birds with one stone - find a food court and find a new camera for Dan (his unfortunately kicked the bucket). No dice on the camera, but on the top floor (there must have been 6 levels?) of the mall we both found what we were looking for: Dan a Subway and me a cafe with iced cappucino (a rarity here). This made the long walk worth it!
After this mall adventure we met up with the group at the Secretaria Municipal de Urbanismo where we had another lecture about the zoning techniques in the city. The zoning here is pretty typical. There is a density hierarchy that allows greater density along the transportation corridors.
When the lecture was over we started walking in the direction of the hotel but took a short detour through the public park. Curitiba has many public parks, but most are on the periphery of the city. This park had facilities for bicycles, lots of people hanging out and eating icecream - and best of all... animals!! There was one caged area that featured THE WEIRDEST CREATURES - there was a pelican that was the size of a human. This is not an exaggeration, it was crazy. There was also an egret in this enclosure along with another odd looking bird that continually bent its neck all the way back so its head was touching its lower body - so odd!
Tonight was pretty uneventful - just took a nap and relaxed in the room and made myself a delicious american style sandwich for dinner. Tomorrow we have a lecture in the morning on housing and a tour of settlements in the afternoon. Sorry this post is so long with no pictures! Thanks for still reading!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Floripa Vacation House
Here's a 360 of our Floripa vacation bungalow
*correction to my commentary in the video, we are not right on the "lake" we are right on the lagoon. Woops!
Lauren struggling to get her massive bag up the stairs (and me photographing instead of helping, what a jerk)
Jen enjoying the view
Lunch, camaroa + suco abacaxi (shrimp and pineapple juice - w/ mint!)
The girls and I venturing to the "downtown"
Crazy dogs abound - sometimes sitting in weird places
A feast for 15
Shani with our Brazillian friend, Alex
A close up on the delicious veggie kabob thing that we threw on the churrascaria grill
Two entire salmon that we grilled
Vicky claims that the fish's cheek is a delicacy, eww
Dessert
Hey, role call! If you're still reading this plz leave a comment, thaaaaank youuuu
*correction to my commentary in the video, we are not right on the "lake" we are right on the lagoon. Woops!
Lauren struggling to get her massive bag up the stairs (and me photographing instead of helping, what a jerk)
Jen enjoying the view
Lunch, camaroa + suco abacaxi (shrimp and pineapple juice - w/ mint!)
The girls and I venturing to the "downtown"
Crazy dogs abound - sometimes sitting in weird places
A feast for 15
Shani with our Brazillian friend, Alex
A close up on the delicious veggie kabob thing that we threw on the churrascaria grill
Two entire salmon that we grilled
Vicky claims that the fish's cheek is a delicacy, eww
Dessert
Hey, role call! If you're still reading this plz leave a comment, thaaaaank youuuu
So I just figured out how to post slideshows of my photos. Here are photos from a tour of the island of Florianopolis. If you want to view larger versions of the photos you can just click on this slideshow and it will take you to the actual album. I'll be posting photos from our vacation as soon as I can upload them (the internet connection here is unfortunately slow). Enjoy!
This was my first day out of bed after I got sick, I was still pretty out of it - but I'm so glad I made it for the tour. I obviously really would have missed out had I not gone.
The restaurant where we had dinner, right on the water: frutos do mar
See food??
Yum!! Sea food!!
Oysters as big as your head
This was my first day out of bed after I got sick, I was still pretty out of it - but I'm so glad I made it for the tour. I obviously really would have missed out had I not gone.
The restaurant where we had dinner, right on the water: frutos do mar
See food??
Yum!! Sea food!!
Oysters as big as your head
Finally in Curitiba
Well, the group finally arrived in Curitiba a few hours ago. I only posted once from Floripa but I figured you could extrapolate that one post and gather that pretty much all we did was hang out at the beach, relax, and enjoy the scenery. It was a welcome vacation, and extremely relaxing!
We took a (relatively) short bus ride through the mountains to arrive in Curitiba around 7:30 this evening. Some people slept, but I read an issue of Utne magazine and watched Flight of the Conchords for most of the ride. It was a much smoother ride than previous ones - because I sat in the second row and I had two seats to myself!
Jen and I have decided that this is our favorite hotel room, or apartment as they call them here, by far! There are two rooms - one is a bedroom with two single beds, a closet, and a decent sized balcony that has a great view. We have an actual normal sized bathroom. This is exciting because all of the other bathrooms have been about the size of a cruise ship bathroom, rather uncomfortably small! A full sized shower, and at this point, hot water - are luxuries to us!! Aside from the bedroom is a small living room with a couch (with a pull out bed), a little table with two chairs (which we have dubbed to be our breakfast nook), a window with a garden on the ledge, and best of all - a little kitchen!! Its nothing major but there's a refrigerator, a stove, a sink, and storage for food and utensils. At this point, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to cook for ourselves. Eating out has been semi-expensive and it feels like we're always scavenging for food.
The goals for tomorrow are as follows:
- find a place to do laundry - we are out of clean clothes!
- find a place to buy some groceries and hopefully a pot and pan (none are provided by the hotel)
- talk to travel agent - we have this coming Friday and Monday off from school, so a few of us are going to take the opportunity to go to Rio!!
- finally, go to class. Yeah, vacation is over, back to work
Oh, my dad asked about the weather/temperature. Floripa was extremely warm during the day - probably in the upper 80's lower 90's but with a nice cool breeze. At night it could be a little chilly, in the upper 60's but also with a breeze. We expected Curitiba to be very cold (from what Floripan's and others had told us) but when we arrived I was wearing shorts and a light shirt and was pretty comfortable. I would say its in the mid 60's right now. However I think that it will start to get colder in the next few weeks (just a guess)
We took a (relatively) short bus ride through the mountains to arrive in Curitiba around 7:30 this evening. Some people slept, but I read an issue of Utne magazine and watched Flight of the Conchords for most of the ride. It was a much smoother ride than previous ones - because I sat in the second row and I had two seats to myself!
Jen and I have decided that this is our favorite hotel room, or apartment as they call them here, by far! There are two rooms - one is a bedroom with two single beds, a closet, and a decent sized balcony that has a great view. We have an actual normal sized bathroom. This is exciting because all of the other bathrooms have been about the size of a cruise ship bathroom, rather uncomfortably small! A full sized shower, and at this point, hot water - are luxuries to us!! Aside from the bedroom is a small living room with a couch (with a pull out bed), a little table with two chairs (which we have dubbed to be our breakfast nook), a window with a garden on the ledge, and best of all - a little kitchen!! Its nothing major but there's a refrigerator, a stove, a sink, and storage for food and utensils. At this point, we are thrilled to have the opportunity to cook for ourselves. Eating out has been semi-expensive and it feels like we're always scavenging for food.
The goals for tomorrow are as follows:
- find a place to do laundry - we are out of clean clothes!
- find a place to buy some groceries and hopefully a pot and pan (none are provided by the hotel)
- talk to travel agent - we have this coming Friday and Monday off from school, so a few of us are going to take the opportunity to go to Rio!!
- finally, go to class. Yeah, vacation is over, back to work
Oh, my dad asked about the weather/temperature. Floripa was extremely warm during the day - probably in the upper 80's lower 90's but with a nice cool breeze. At night it could be a little chilly, in the upper 60's but also with a breeze. We expected Curitiba to be very cold (from what Floripan's and others had told us) but when we arrived I was wearing shorts and a light shirt and was pretty comfortable. I would say its in the mid 60's right now. However I think that it will start to get colder in the next few weeks (just a guess)
Friday, May 23, 2008
Paradise
Today was a fun day! Shani woke me up and a small group of us headed over to one of the beaches - Praya Mole. We had to walk up this massive hill and then down and then we were there! The water was filled with surfers when we arrived around 11 - and by the time we were ready to leave the beach was so crowded with people - and many still arriving. Guess it's a popular spot!
I know that people always make jokes about the dental floss bikinis in Brazil - but I assure you - it is no joke. No matter what type of body - all of the women wear these skimpy floss bikinis!! We went in the water and played in the waves a bit - but the water was pretty rough. Mainly we lounged on the shore and got sun, I finished the book I was reading. I got completely covered in sand, but at least I didn't sunburn!
When we first got there we met a beautiful French couple with an adorable 3 yearold. They had lived in Miami, and loved Americans and were really happy to talk to us. Most of the people we meet love Americans and want to talk to us about where we're from and where they've been in the U.S.
We had a little lunch and then hit the road back to the house. Spent the afternoon lounging around the house and taking a nap.
In the evening we all got dressed up and went out to a restaurant down the street from the house called the Black Beard. It was kind of pricey but our dinner was delicious. Afterwards a couple of us went to a really nice bar with a live samba/rock band. The place was full of the island elite - rich people! Everyone was dancing - it was really fun.
Now I'm home, and sleepy. Tomorrow is gonna be another beach day most likely. We have Friday, Saturday, and half of Sunday left here before we leave for Curitiba. This place is paradise, I dont want to leave!
(pictures to come soon!)
I know that people always make jokes about the dental floss bikinis in Brazil - but I assure you - it is no joke. No matter what type of body - all of the women wear these skimpy floss bikinis!! We went in the water and played in the waves a bit - but the water was pretty rough. Mainly we lounged on the shore and got sun, I finished the book I was reading. I got completely covered in sand, but at least I didn't sunburn!
When we first got there we met a beautiful French couple with an adorable 3 yearold. They had lived in Miami, and loved Americans and were really happy to talk to us. Most of the people we meet love Americans and want to talk to us about where we're from and where they've been in the U.S.
We had a little lunch and then hit the road back to the house. Spent the afternoon lounging around the house and taking a nap.
In the evening we all got dressed up and went out to a restaurant down the street from the house called the Black Beard. It was kind of pricey but our dinner was delicious. Afterwards a couple of us went to a really nice bar with a live samba/rock band. The place was full of the island elite - rich people! Everyone was dancing - it was really fun.
Now I'm home, and sleepy. Tomorrow is gonna be another beach day most likely. We have Friday, Saturday, and half of Sunday left here before we leave for Curitiba. This place is paradise, I dont want to leave!
(pictures to come soon!)
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Floripa
We're in an amazing beach house right on the lagoa. Our apartment is two stories with a HUUUUUGE outdoor balcony patio thing that's like the size of a house and overlooks the lake. Sleeps about 8 or more (we have two apartments)and has AMAZING views!!
Unfortunately, my computer doesn't get internet signal here so I can't post pictures - as I'm hijacking other people's computers. We used the barbeque and made an amazing meal - barbequed chicken on the grill in gyros w/ homemade tzaziki sauce. Shani and I went grocery shopping for 11 people for three days, with no car - *that* was an adventure! Anyway, we're having fun - oh, and we actually all worked on our research proposals today - so we're having fun and doing work!! My research is going to be about informal settlements, social capital, and public participation - I'll explain more later - because apparently we're about to play a game :)
Unfortunately, my computer doesn't get internet signal here so I can't post pictures - as I'm hijacking other people's computers. We used the barbeque and made an amazing meal - barbequed chicken on the grill in gyros w/ homemade tzaziki sauce. Shani and I went grocery shopping for 11 people for three days, with no car - *that* was an adventure! Anyway, we're having fun - oh, and we actually all worked on our research proposals today - so we're having fun and doing work!! My research is going to be about informal settlements, social capital, and public participation - I'll explain more later - because apparently we're about to play a game :)
Hey friends at home!
So we're in Floripa and it's really beautiful. I'd love to tell you all about it but unfortunately I've spent most of my time here sick in the hotel room! I was totally not functional for the first few days here but yesterday I managed to get out of bed and go on the bus tour (which was the whole day). This island is really beautiful. I'm glad I'm starting to feel better because our holiday starts this afternoon! We are renting a house that belongs to a professor at the university here - I think its on the south side of the island? We drove around near it yesterday and its in a cool part of town - I'm excited about whatever the group is going to get into this weekend! I dont know if I'll have internet access but hopefully I'll be able to post pictures in a few days.
Steph, good luck with your flights and all of the travel over the next couple of weeks. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR WALLET AND PASSPORT, DUMMY.
Luis, thank you for the pep talk <3
Everyone else, until later!
So we're in Floripa and it's really beautiful. I'd love to tell you all about it but unfortunately I've spent most of my time here sick in the hotel room! I was totally not functional for the first few days here but yesterday I managed to get out of bed and go on the bus tour (which was the whole day). This island is really beautiful. I'm glad I'm starting to feel better because our holiday starts this afternoon! We are renting a house that belongs to a professor at the university here - I think its on the south side of the island? We drove around near it yesterday and its in a cool part of town - I'm excited about whatever the group is going to get into this weekend! I dont know if I'll have internet access but hopefully I'll be able to post pictures in a few days.
Steph, good luck with your flights and all of the travel over the next couple of weeks. KEEP TRACK OF YOUR WALLET AND PASSPORT, DUMMY.
Luis, thank you for the pep talk <3
Everyone else, until later!
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Now we're in Floripa!
Hi blog,
Its been a few days since I last wrote – my parents asked if the blog was on a writer’s strike. I want to assure my loyal blog readers that there is no strike – it’s just been a busy busy few days!
The week in Maringa was school intensive. We usually left the hotel by 8:15 and returned around 7. We usually spent the mornings in lectures and the afternoons on tours. Our classes were with both American and Brazillian students so we got to know some of the kids in Maringa!
Lauren and I on the touring bus
On Friday we had lectures in the morning and a student discussion forum in the afternoon and evening. It took forever because, as we learned, Brazilian students tend to be verbose in their explanations of things. When the forum finally ended we were all ready for a little fun. We met up at this amazing restaurant that served, almost exclusively, meat on sticks! We got filet mignon on little sticks (kind of like shish kabobs), and cheese and garlic stuffed bread on sticks, and of course several rounds of caprinihas with cachaCa. It was a really fun night cause we got to hang out with our new Brazillian friends! Good times.
Us with our Brazillian friends, and meat on sticks
Saturday morning we woke up, packed, and checked out of the hotel. Then some professors from the UEM (the university in Maringa) picked us up from the hotel and brought us to the Maringa country club where they threw a huge party for us. The food was unbelievable. Endless chicken, pork, beef, sausage from the churrascaria style barbeque, more garlic cheese bread, amazing salads filled with mango, sun dried tomato, goat cheese, veggies, etc; yuka, and different kinds of brazillian foods. They also served us this pure coconut and rum drink, traditional capirinhas, and a delicious pineapple capriniha. We basically ate and drank all day – it was a never ending feast. It was fun to socialize with the professors and students we had studied with all week. The country club had all kinds of amenities like soccer fields, tennis courts, bocce ball, a huge playground, swimming pools. People were using all of them and we played on the playground all day. It was a really nice way to end the week.
The food
Me with my friend Marcello
Playing on the playground
Around 8 oclock the professors took us back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and then brought us to the bus station. Our bus boarded and left at 9 pm. I was pretty miserable the entire 12 hours we were on the bus. For one, the bus smelled horrible – but the really bad part was that the bus extremely wobbly. For twelve hours I felt like I was on a little boat in a big storm! I tried to read and breathe to calm my nausea and stomach but it didn’t really help and I finally gave in and took some Dramamine. It kicked in pretty quick and I was out like a light. Unfortunately the effects only lasted for a few hours, and the rest of the night I was in and out of sleep. I finally woke up in Florianopolis with a stiff neck and a sore throat.
When our bus arrived in the city we got off and transferred to a smaller chartered bus for our group. As we drove in to the city I was astonished by the beauty and tried to compare it to other places I’ve been. My friend in Maringa, Marcello, told me that Florianopolis might be similar to Miami. Its tropical and there are lots of palm trees, water, boats, etc – but there are these beautiful mountains and hillsides with houses built on them. I think I would compare Florianopolis to a city in California.
We went to breakfast down the street shortly after we arrived. I had a cappuccino and a chocolate croissant – normally this would be my ideal breakfast but I was exhausted, cranky, and felt slightly sick – so I just wanted to get into bed. I hightailed it back to our beautiful resort hotel and got in bed for the rest of the day. I woke up periodically and just felt worse and worse. I think Shani, another girl on the trip, is feeling sick too – so there is a little bit of concern about us being contagious and getting other people sick. Hopefully that doesn’t happen!
Oh, our hotel in Floripa (the short name for Florianopolis) is basically a resort! The room that Jen and I are in doesn’t have a real door but sliding glass doors that open up to a little patio and has a gorgeous view! I’ll take some pictures of it tomorrow.
Its been a few days since I last wrote – my parents asked if the blog was on a writer’s strike. I want to assure my loyal blog readers that there is no strike – it’s just been a busy busy few days!
The week in Maringa was school intensive. We usually left the hotel by 8:15 and returned around 7. We usually spent the mornings in lectures and the afternoons on tours. Our classes were with both American and Brazillian students so we got to know some of the kids in Maringa!
Lauren and I on the touring bus
On Friday we had lectures in the morning and a student discussion forum in the afternoon and evening. It took forever because, as we learned, Brazilian students tend to be verbose in their explanations of things. When the forum finally ended we were all ready for a little fun. We met up at this amazing restaurant that served, almost exclusively, meat on sticks! We got filet mignon on little sticks (kind of like shish kabobs), and cheese and garlic stuffed bread on sticks, and of course several rounds of caprinihas with cachaCa. It was a really fun night cause we got to hang out with our new Brazillian friends! Good times.
Us with our Brazillian friends, and meat on sticks
Saturday morning we woke up, packed, and checked out of the hotel. Then some professors from the UEM (the university in Maringa) picked us up from the hotel and brought us to the Maringa country club where they threw a huge party for us. The food was unbelievable. Endless chicken, pork, beef, sausage from the churrascaria style barbeque, more garlic cheese bread, amazing salads filled with mango, sun dried tomato, goat cheese, veggies, etc; yuka, and different kinds of brazillian foods. They also served us this pure coconut and rum drink, traditional capirinhas, and a delicious pineapple capriniha. We basically ate and drank all day – it was a never ending feast. It was fun to socialize with the professors and students we had studied with all week. The country club had all kinds of amenities like soccer fields, tennis courts, bocce ball, a huge playground, swimming pools. People were using all of them and we played on the playground all day. It was a really nice way to end the week.
The food
Me with my friend Marcello
Playing on the playground
Around 8 oclock the professors took us back to the hotel to pick up our luggage and then brought us to the bus station. Our bus boarded and left at 9 pm. I was pretty miserable the entire 12 hours we were on the bus. For one, the bus smelled horrible – but the really bad part was that the bus extremely wobbly. For twelve hours I felt like I was on a little boat in a big storm! I tried to read and breathe to calm my nausea and stomach but it didn’t really help and I finally gave in and took some Dramamine. It kicked in pretty quick and I was out like a light. Unfortunately the effects only lasted for a few hours, and the rest of the night I was in and out of sleep. I finally woke up in Florianopolis with a stiff neck and a sore throat.
When our bus arrived in the city we got off and transferred to a smaller chartered bus for our group. As we drove in to the city I was astonished by the beauty and tried to compare it to other places I’ve been. My friend in Maringa, Marcello, told me that Florianopolis might be similar to Miami. Its tropical and there are lots of palm trees, water, boats, etc – but there are these beautiful mountains and hillsides with houses built on them. I think I would compare Florianopolis to a city in California.
We went to breakfast down the street shortly after we arrived. I had a cappuccino and a chocolate croissant – normally this would be my ideal breakfast but I was exhausted, cranky, and felt slightly sick – so I just wanted to get into bed. I hightailed it back to our beautiful resort hotel and got in bed for the rest of the day. I woke up periodically and just felt worse and worse. I think Shani, another girl on the trip, is feeling sick too – so there is a little bit of concern about us being contagious and getting other people sick. Hopefully that doesn’t happen!
Oh, our hotel in Floripa (the short name for Florianopolis) is basically a resort! The room that Jen and I are in doesn’t have a real door but sliding glass doors that open up to a little patio and has a gorgeous view! I’ll take some pictures of it tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Day 2 in Maringa
Today was a killer long day. We woke up at 7:30 and didn't get home until after 8! Had breakfast at the hotel: delicious fresh fruit and fresh fruit juice, different cheeses and types of breads...
Walked over to the university for our first lecture given by Dr. Joceli Macedo, who is the main instructor of our program. Her lecture was on the topic of adapting the Florida model of housing needs assessments for Brazil and other developing countries. I obviously found this interesting as I just worked on a housing needs assessment and my specialization in the program at FSU is affordable housing. I'm thinking of changing my focus in this program from transportation to housing, since I am slightly more knowledgeable about housing. Here is a photo of us in class (we arrived late, of course):
The second lecture given to us was by Professor Doctor Something about the topic of "verticalization" or vertical growth in the city of Maringa. The American students couldn't really understand the negative connotation given to vertical growth in this lecture as, where we come from, the opposite of vertical growth is sprawl - and this is seen as a negative thing.
After the two lectures we had some time for lunch. Our Brazillian colleagues brought us to an all you can eat cafeteria with lots of authentic Brazillian dishes - including feshuoda! Yum! Here's a picture of us in front of the cafe:
After our too short lunch break, we walked back to school and met in front of a building to catch a chartered bus to take us to the destination where our tour began. On the tour we went to see the cathedral that looks like a rocket ship. Its huge and when you walk inside its filled with stained glass and you can see all the way to the top of the cone. Its amazingly beautiful:
Then we went to one of the two urban parks in the city that are referred to as the "lungs" of Maringa. We saw monkeys there!!
Then we went to a semi-informal settlement that is kind of under attack by the local government - too complicated to explain in depth but here are some photos:
I am slightly homesick and kind of out of my comfort zone. I miss spending time with Luis, having dinner with mom and dad, and talking to m sister Steph whenever I want. Despite these things I am learning a lot about the cities here, getting to know some awesome new people, and having a great time!
Tomorrow is another long day of lectures and field trips so I better get to sleep. Btw, I have Skype figured out and working so I can call people now!
Oh yeah, and here are some pictures of Jessica and Jennifer trying to kill eachother by pushing eachother into traffic - FSU UF rivalry still going strong!
Walked over to the university for our first lecture given by Dr. Joceli Macedo, who is the main instructor of our program. Her lecture was on the topic of adapting the Florida model of housing needs assessments for Brazil and other developing countries. I obviously found this interesting as I just worked on a housing needs assessment and my specialization in the program at FSU is affordable housing. I'm thinking of changing my focus in this program from transportation to housing, since I am slightly more knowledgeable about housing. Here is a photo of us in class (we arrived late, of course):
The second lecture given to us was by Professor Doctor Something about the topic of "verticalization" or vertical growth in the city of Maringa. The American students couldn't really understand the negative connotation given to vertical growth in this lecture as, where we come from, the opposite of vertical growth is sprawl - and this is seen as a negative thing.
After the two lectures we had some time for lunch. Our Brazillian colleagues brought us to an all you can eat cafeteria with lots of authentic Brazillian dishes - including feshuoda! Yum! Here's a picture of us in front of the cafe:
After our too short lunch break, we walked back to school and met in front of a building to catch a chartered bus to take us to the destination where our tour began. On the tour we went to see the cathedral that looks like a rocket ship. Its huge and when you walk inside its filled with stained glass and you can see all the way to the top of the cone. Its amazingly beautiful:
Then we went to one of the two urban parks in the city that are referred to as the "lungs" of Maringa. We saw monkeys there!!
Then we went to a semi-informal settlement that is kind of under attack by the local government - too complicated to explain in depth but here are some photos:
I am slightly homesick and kind of out of my comfort zone. I miss spending time with Luis, having dinner with mom and dad, and talking to m sister Steph whenever I want. Despite these things I am learning a lot about the cities here, getting to know some awesome new people, and having a great time!
Tomorrow is another long day of lectures and field trips so I better get to sleep. Btw, I have Skype figured out and working so I can call people now!
Oh yeah, and here are some pictures of Jessica and Jennifer trying to kill eachother by pushing eachother into traffic - FSU UF rivalry still going strong!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Dinner in the Japanese district of Sao Paulo: Liberdade (read: Liberda-gee). Dan, Jen, Kevin and I shared a boat. I got dared to eat the most disgusting looking lime on the boat as pictured in the right of the photo below - of course I did it. Eww.
The group at a churascaria on the last night in Sao Paulo. On the left side of the table is Vicky, Dan, Shani, and Erin. On the right side is Merideth, Jessica, Kevin, and Eric.
Dinner at the churrascaria
The view from the tallest building in Sao Paulo
Walking around in Sao Paulo
The view from our hotel room
Jen, Eric, Vicky, Jessica, and Dan playing drinking games at the bus depot while we wait for our bus from Sao Paulo to Maringa
We arrive at Maringa around 4:30 in the morning
Dinner at a corner bar with Lauren, Elli, Renata, Kevin, and Jen. Drinking caprinihas and eating little pieces of beef and chicken.
Jen, Jessica, Kevin and I taking a photo with some Brazilians we met while asking for directions to a bar. Crazy silly men.
The group at a churascaria on the last night in Sao Paulo. On the left side of the table is Vicky, Dan, Shani, and Erin. On the right side is Merideth, Jessica, Kevin, and Eric.
Dinner at the churrascaria
The view from the tallest building in Sao Paulo
Walking around in Sao Paulo
The view from our hotel room
Jen, Eric, Vicky, Jessica, and Dan playing drinking games at the bus depot while we wait for our bus from Sao Paulo to Maringa
We arrive at Maringa around 4:30 in the morning
Dinner at a corner bar with Lauren, Elli, Renata, Kevin, and Jen. Drinking caprinihas and eating little pieces of beef and chicken.
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