Langa Lyfe

Currently I am sitting in one of the many coffee shops that I frequent downtown, trying to scavenge for wifi as I do ever Sunday. This time feels a bit different though, because I couldn't simply walk downtown from my old homestay on Signal Hill, but instead waited around the mini-bus rink for 45 minutes in Langa, take a 20 minute trip around the mountain, and then walk 15 minutes for a comfortable place to sit and do work. Life in Langa has been really tough. I feel awful saying this, but I am not the happiest of campers. I lucked out in Sao Paulo and Bo-Kaap with amazing families who made me feel like I was actually living in a home. This isn't the case here. My family here is a big 'ol estrogen party consisting of Mama (a 60-something woman), her 19 year old daughter Shikleh, her 40-something daughter Luleke, and Luleke's 12 year old daughter Prudy. The fact that Libbe (my great IHP homestay sister) and I take cold bucket baths, combat rodents in the roof, wash dishes that have been stagnating in dirty water for two days, or sleep in beds that are broken/smell of urine are all things that blow but are survivable. It's mostly that we have yet to make a real connection with any of them that goes above watching Beyonce's “Life Is But A Dream” documentary or hearing them talk about how much they dislike the neighborhood. Mama and Luleke do not work and from what I can gather spend all day watching soap opera's in Xhosa and cook, which is a far cry from my last two homestay mothers who were some of the hardest working women I have ever met. My Bo-Kaap family had also warned me about the food in Langa, but I am by no means a picky eater and was not worried. Unsurprisingly, they were right. My program pays each host family a stipend for food for us, but the real reason why most families take us on is because they genuinely want an extra guest, or to better understand American culture. The stipend isn't much, but should cover a substantial breakfast and dinner each day for us plus a little bit extra for the host family. Lo-and-behold, on the first morning we arrived in Langa we were woken up by the sound of a handyman painting the home and fixing the pipes. Libbe and I didn't think much of it, but once we started receiving meals that look as if spoiled food has been used, are ¼ the size of the plates they serve themselves, or not at all (like dinner last night) I kinda came to the conclusion as to where our food stipend is going to. I feel awful complaining and acknowledge that I am inherently coming from a place of privilege, but I can't shake the feeling that this home just does not feel like a home. My family in the Bo-Kaap were not particularly well off, but their warmness and engaging personalities more than made up for what was physically lacking. Here, Libbe and I are basically forced to sit by ourselves in our room and chat since we aren't allowed outside of the home by ourself (Mama's rules...) and since we aren't really acknowledged by them in the home. But, I leave on Friday for Vietnam and just keep reminding myself that this isn't permanent.

But now I'm going to take a break from the negativity and talk about all the great things that are happening here in Cape Town. Last week was amazing, mostly because weren't forced to sit in our classroom until Friday. Monday was our “Green Day” and took trips to the Rondelevi Nature Reserve and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens as a class. This botanical gardens is quite honestly the most beautiful place I have ever been to before. Situated on the base of Table Mountain, it boasts drop-dead gorgeous view of the mountain as well as a seemingly uncountable amount of flora that are endemic to South Africa. They even have a Succulent Garden (yes, there is a God) and an Extinct Garden were they cultivate plants that have become extinct in the wild. We spent the day smelling herds in the aromatic garden, tromping through their Seed Bank, and chasing Guinea Fowl through the fields.

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were devoted to our case studies. For case studies we split into groups of five and traveled to organizations dealing with our individual topics so that we can formulate a comprehensive 40 minute presentation on the Friday. Millie, Jake, Zoe, Sophie, and I were the “Environment Group” (surprise, surprise) and had a ball. On Tuesday this amazing man named Nazeer took us around the Philippi Horticultural Area, which is a 3,000 hectare plot of land in the middle of the city deemed “Cape Town's Breadbasket”. It's currently being threatened by a housing development that would not even serve the families living in informal settlements on the land and the imminent expansion of the urban edge. We met with farmers, tried some kale, and marveled at the flamingos that mingle with cattle and carrots on the land. Traveling to the PHA was also amazing because I gained some invaluable insight into my Comparative Analysis Project on food security. Wednesday we trekked to SANCCOB (by my cousin David's recommendation) which is a grant-funded organization that works to protect and rehabilitate African Penguins. Spending a few hours laughing and playing with chubby penguins was not a rough way to spend the day. I never realized how big of a draw these penguins are for tourists, and learned that they bring in R$14.5 million a year from gate entry at Boulder's Beach alone. Insane. Thursday, we trekked by train to the winelands of Stellenbosch. Since our professor Ingrid came with us and managed to get us lost (meaning we didn't have time to drink wine...) we had to take a six person tuk-tuk through the town in order to make our appointment at the Sustainability Institute and adjacent Eco-Village. Our tour guide Katie took us through this “eco-oasis” that hosted a kresh (kindergarden), Montessori school for children who suffer fetal-alcohol syndrome (their way of giving back to a community that used to be paid for their farm labor in wine) and 46 homes that were all built using alternative and sustainable building materials. While I did enjoy seeing model informal homes that were built entirely of sandbags from Cape Flats sand, biodigesters implemented in a few homes that convert human waste to methane, and bricks stronger than cement made from clay and straw, I couldn't help but think critically about the Eco-Villages main goal. They spoke of how these building materials and biodigesters can change the way of life for those living in informal settlements but they have yet to implement any of these lofty plans into informal settlements and as of now do not have any plans to.

On Friday night 8 of us girls decided to rent out a room in a hostel downtown and go out for once since the insane amounts of work we have are really bringing us down. After taking a long, hot shower in the hostel (which I didn't feel too bad about considering their hot water is heated entirely by solar power) all of us swapped clothes, did each others make up, and blasted some Kendrick Lamar while getting ready. I finally felt like I was actually a college student and not a semi-functioning zombie! After having a ball at a 90's Hip Hop themed party and a few other bars we decided to call it a night and slept for eons in our comfy hostel beds. Saturday morning a few of us met up with my friend Griffin at his beautiful home which he is sharing with 15 other UNC students. We spent the afternoon braiing, hanging out on their porch, chatting, and comparing our respective study abroad experiences. While we did feel a little bit miffed about how much free time they seem to have and the vast amount of things that they have done while in Cape Town, I think my friends and I came to a common consensus afterwards that we probably are in the right program for our interests. It was so relaxing though to hang out with other students our age who we haven't spent the last 8 weeks in super close quarters with and Griffin's friends are all really really cool. In fact, a few of us made plans to come back downtown Tuesday night and climb Signal Hill to watch the sunset and then go to karaoke with them. But until then, I have 5 papers to write before my flight to Vietnam leaves on Friday!

Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens

Millicent, myself and some birdz o' paradise

My home in Langa

The Philippi Horticultural Area

Fat ol' penguinz

Tuk-Tuk rides

Me and Rocky!

Friends finding Nemo

Week 7...

So the 18th marked the milestone of being abroad for two months- wahooo! I figured two months in is the appropriate time to acknowledge that I'm a bit homesick. Not a crippling "I want to sit in my room and cry all night" kind of homesickness, but a definite "I sometimes crave vegan chili from Lowry" type of homesickness. Since I don't really have wifi except in coffee shops it has been really difficult contacting family, friends, and most of all my poppa. And when I check facebook (which is evil I'm still convinced) I get bummed when I see everyone partying it up without me! I think this feeling will definitely pass though and this feeling only reaffirms to me my decision to do a program that jumps from place to place. Whenever I feel a bit down I just have to wait a few days to immerse myself in the excitement of traveling to the next place! And coincidentally enough, I am leaving the beautiful Bo-Kaap this evening and moving to the township of Langa (which is about 15 minutes outside of the central city). 

 But anyways, more about this past week! Despite these crazy insane South-Easter winds that apparently no one is phased by besides us Americans, Cape Town is still just as amazing as when I stepped foot off the plane. I think our professors have eased up a bit on our workload and we as a group are less stressed than we were in Sao Paulo. School-wise, we had guest lecturers come and speak to us about Crime, Transportation, Migration, and Economics within the city, which were all surprisingly thought-provoking and well presented. 

I left off my last post saying that I was heading to Mzoli's, which is a giant brai place in the township of Gugulethu. I went with my friends Allegra and Libbe and were immediately in love with the place. We waited 45 minutes in line, picked out some delicious cuts of rib, chicken, and sausage, and watched as it was barbecued right in front of us! Allegra being the charming girl that she is met Mzoli himself and SOMEHOW got us into the VIP seating section. We sat, stuffed our faces, and danced the day away with some random South African TV star. What a ridiculous day. 

Monday we took trips to different townships in an attempt to better understand the housing crisis that is facing Cape Town. Myself and eight other students traveled to Vahalla Park in the Cape Flats, where we met Auntie Gertie, her daughter Miena, and a bevy of incredibly impressive women who fought teeth and nail to get noticed by the government. Many people in Cape Town who live in informal homes have been on a wait list for 10, 15, 20+ years and are forced to remain in their backyard shanties or informal shacks. The women in Vahalla Park were tired of this oversight by the government and staged a stand-in in the laundry mat that involved almost all of the community. Forced to address the ever-growing protest, city officials finally rescinded and built a huge outdoor recreation area, improved the library, and made plans for more housing units in the community. There we were taken on a tour of the community (we had to stay in the van because we were told it was unsafe for us to walk around) and were invited into Auntie Gertie's home. Inside I had a great talk with her 30-something daughter Miena, who was supporting her three children on a limited budget. We immediately bonded and she told me as I was leaving that she wanted to tell me everything about herself because she could tell I had a pure soul. It was honestly one of the nicest compliments I have ever received and made my heart swell. We are meeting for tea next week hopefully! 

Wednesday we did not have class since it was Eid Mubarak. My host sister Natalie and I spent the morning in a coffee shop to grab a bit of internet and then climbed in the back of our host dad's pick up truck to go to our host sisters home. Auntie Zee had spent all of Tuesday, Tuesday night, and Wednesday morning cooking, so we knew we were in for a treat. Natalie and I were floored when we arrived at her sisters house. We had expected to eat in a cramped apartment much like the one we are living in, but instead found ourselves in an absolutely beautiful home in the Cape Flats that had a pool, a huge flatscreen, and a live-in maid. I did not expect to spend much time in homes that were "extravagant" while I was abroad and was a bit uncomfortable eating roti (this delicious pancake served with curry) while people pranced around in heels. Natalie and I were both super thankful though to be included in a celebration such as this, especially since I will not be home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We also forced ourselves to do a few ab exercises to make up for the amount of food we ingested. 

My favorite day by far was Saturday. I have felt super lethargic, lazy, and frustrated about the lack of energy/time I have to exercise while I'm abroad. Five of us decided to bone up and climb Table Mountain. We left around 2:45 and after a harrowing two and a half our hike finally made it up. It was the hardest hike that I have ever done and was not made easier by the fact that I am super out of shape. After huffing and puffing our way to the top we realized that it was 100% worth it. The clouds were literally pouring over us and I felt like I was in Avatar… Pictures can not do the climb justice, but climbing Table Mountain is something everyone should do once in their life. Just saying. 

I have to jet because I have lots of packing to do before Langa and limited internet but as per usual I promise to do a more in depth post next week!

Eid dinner with Zaraa and Dexter!

Climbing Table Mountain...

SO FREAKING PRETTY

I can't. 

Weeeeee

 Allegra, Libbe, and I at Mzoli's

Warning: NSFW...

I'm In The Prettiest City On Earth!

Okay okay okay so I have been massively slacking on blog posts but I do not have wifi in my new homestay so... that's the way that the cookie crumbles. I'm actually enjoying the whole disconnected aspect of my new homestay and have been able to bond with my family quicker than expected since me and Natalie (my new IHP roommate) are not constantly typing away on our phones and laptops. All 32 of us arrived into Cape Town early last Saturday morning and had a brief safety talk, poured over our guidebooks like the tourists we are, and tried to fall asleep. Saturday I had the chance to meet up with my friend from home Griffin who is studying in Cape Town through UNC. We walked around this really cool garden called Oranjezicht City Farm, ate some really delicious food at this place called the Daily Deli (which is my now my favorite cafe in town), and just caught up on things. It was really refreshing to see a familiar face that reminded me of home and to nab a meal that cost like $2 since I unfortunately misplaced my 450 rand weekly food stipend. Saturday night a few of us went to an Ethiopian restaurant on Long Street and then to this bar called Bob's. As many of you know dancing is probably my least favorite activity but my two friends Emma and Sophie know how to break it down. Their moves attracted a dance circle of like 30 South Africans who proceeded to have a dance circle that I was eventually coerced into joining. I'm usually super nervous about dancing but the live and let live mentality of the South African's made me forget my inhibitions and just have fun. And I got to go to bed by 1 am which is always a great thing for me because I'm super lame.

Sunday we met our homestay families. For two weeks we are living in the Bo-Kaap, which is a muslim neighborhood famed for its super colorful homes, breathtaking views of Table Mountain, and proximity to the CBD of Cape Town. It is quintessentially a township because it was classified as a muslim neighborhood during apartheid but as far as townships go is nothing like the ones that still exist on the Cape Flats. My host family lives in a little apartment up on a slope of Signal Hill above the center of Bo-Kaap. My home consists of Auntie Zee (a 60ish year old woman), her husband Ismael (a construction worker), Mone (a parrot who doesn't shut up), Natalie (my IHP roommate), and 5 newborn kittens! Auntie Zee and Ismael remind me a lot of Judy and my father. Ismael works far too hard, is incredibly sweet, and loves nothing more than to sit at his window and watch over the neighborhood. Auntie Zee is one of the few homestay moms who still works and is incredibly proud of the fact that she has held the same job in the VW dealership for 27 years. Every morning she feeds the five stray cats who come to our door, talks nonstop to Mone, and provides a delicious breakfast for us before we go to class.

Much like my family in Brazil, my favorite part of my homestay has been the dinners. Living with a muslim family has been pretty interesting, and our dinner discussions have caused me to think critically about privilege and the role of the woman in modern day society. Auntie Zee is one of the sassiest, brashest, and independent women I have met yet stands by the claim that it is a woman's job to be submissive to her husband. She believes that in order to avoid fights a woman must always listen to and obey her husband, which is a sentiment that was echoed by her niece who is my age. While I disagree with her claim, I enjoyed biting my tongue for once and listening to her priorities. Although we are still getting to know our family, Ismael has opened up to Natalie and I a bit about what it was like being a muslim man during apartheid. He recognizes that many of the Blacks in SA had it worse than he did during the height of conflict in the 1980's, but still can't believe how dehumanizing it was being a person of color. It is incredibly hard to wrap my head around the concept of apartheid but these conversations are really helpful in understanding the strife, pain, and lasting scars that this type of forced segregation placed on South Africans. I can't help but feel a pang of guilt being a White individual when I hear stories.

On a much lighter note, I love Cape Town a helluva a lot more than Sao Paulo. Workload wise I feel as if homework is 1000 times more manageable and that the lectures, site visits, and readings that are assigned are more useful. We actually got to hike Lion's Head as a group for a few hours during class on Tuesday and had a class outside on Friday, which would have NEVER happened in Brazil. Every morning I get to walk by like 3 outdoor markets and wake up to the sight of Table Mountain. Add in the fact that almost everyone speaks English and I am one happy camper. Something I really missed while in Brazil was natural beauty and the oceans, mountains, and gardens of Cape Town more than make up for it. Speaking of, yesterday 20 other students and I did a bus tour of Cape Point which took us through False Bay (where lots of Shark Week is filmed!), Boulders Beach (where all the penguins are!), and the Cape of Good Hope (the most southwestern tip of Africa). It was so so beautiful and I loved nothing more than spending the day outside climbing on rocks and playing with lil' birdz. Today I am going to Mzoli's which is a butchershop in a township called Gugulethu. Apparently you go there, pick a cut of meat, have it BBQ'ed right in front of you, and dance and drink the day away. Wahoooo! Oh, and this post goes out to Barbara who has been hounding me about posting. Happy Birthday Barb!

Me and Griffin!

 My homestay kittens!

 Mone the parrot

 View of Cape Town from the top of Lion's Head

 Me and my friend Hayley!

 Penguins on Bolders Beach

Cape of Good Hope!

Double Rainbow in the Bo-Kaap

Va-va-va-cation

Okay so my bad, I'm in Cape Town now, but already wrote this and forgot to upload it. So if anyone still cares about my rantings and vacation in Brazil, here ya' go. 

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As I write this, I am on a bus hurtling down the side of a mountain towards São Paulo. The ocean gives way to lush rainforests, scraggly looking cows on ranches, and eventually the periphery zones that I have been fortunate enough to spend some time in these past few weeks. And in a few hours I will be on a plane heading towards South Africa (what?!). Never have I ever been jumbled with so many nerves and feelings of excitement. 

While I am extremely anxious to land down in Cape Town, it's hard to fully immerse myself in the experience when I am less than excited to go back to class. I could rant for hours about how disappointed I am in my professors expectations, grading scales, and overall demeanor but that wouldn't be particularly enjoyable to read. Long story short is that our 3 professors do not respect each other due to some ridiculous hierarchical scale they hold which is severely impacting our experience. We have received two grades back since us 32 students have been abroad and our journal grades were dismal at best. I'm talking students at top-tier universities getting 1/20 on assignments bad. A professor accidentally drop boxed his journal grades to all of us, with comments singing to the tune of "this subject is useless to study" and "these writings make no sense". When we brought up these concerns our opinions as students were undervalued, we were talked to like children, and were left to embark on "vacation" with immense feelings of resentment, frustration, and anger. 

Despite these setbacks, I am incredibly thankful to have had the chance to vacation on Ilhabela with 11 of the coolest people I have ever met. Ilhabela, which quite literally translates to "beautiful island", is a tiny island off the coast of Brazil and is roughly 4 hour bus ride from the hustle and bustle of São Paulo. 92% of the island is a nature preserve and is extremely well protected (unlike the national parks right now in America apparently). We departed for the island at the crack of dawn Saturday morning and arrived at our beautiful hostel just in time to spend the day at the beach drinking coconut water and tossing around a frisbee. 

I am happy to say that most of this vacation was spent doing just that and I would not have had it any other way. Although many of my friends on the program decided to make the trek up to Rio, I have become a boring homebody who wanted to do nothing more than explore an island and get to know some other people on my program a bit better. Monday we spent a good 4 hours looking for the trailhead for a 2 hour hike. As we traversed up through the rainforest we spent the day exploring natural pools, standing under waterfalls, and eating fresh, massive avocados. That night 6 of us girls spent the night drinking wine and talking about the most life-changing classes we have taken, sharing our favorite books, and trying to contain our South Africa excitement. 

Tuesday we had the bright idea to rent bikes on the island and trek to Praia Da Pinto which is one of the many beaches on the island. We basically ended up biking 13km which was a literal pain in the ass, but really fun once we dived into the water of our totally empty beach. Spending the day swimming, relaxing, and taking photos was much needed and we ended the day with some of the best tasting coconut popsicles I have ever had in my life. The rest of vacation was pretty much the same- relaxing, cooking with my friends, and walking around the beautiful island. Side note, penguins from Patagonia occasionally get swept up by currents and brought to Ilhabela which explains the dead penguin we saw during our bike ride. A very weird thing to see on a tiny island in Brazil. 

Anyways here are some pictures of Ilhabela!

My friend Millie in front of our hostel!

Praia Da Pinto

Hanging out on Praia Da Pinto

Ilhabela is toooo beautiful 

See above...

My Week Real Quick!

Alright alright so I started writing a post about Cabucu de Baixo, which is a favela community that we are conducting a three-day case study in. It's an incredibly interesting experience and is forcing me to think critically about a lot of academic and personal beliefs that I held before coming on this program. BUT I then realized that I hadn't blogged in a while and wanted to just give a brief lowdown about my past week and then post later this week more in depth about my case study.

This past week was incredibly dry academically. I went on one site visit besides Cabucu de Baixo. Call me spoiled, but I have been pretty impressed by most of the organizations/people who we visit during site visits. My trip to Nossa Sao Paulo (I think that's its name, goes to show how valuable it was...) was a total bore. It was advertised to us as an organization that was focused on urban sustainability and instead 12 of us found ourselves trying not to fall asleep in a cramped room while we looked at survey data for two hours. It got so bad that two people next to me started to play "Fuck, Marry, Kill" about celebrities and our classmates alike to pass the time. Class-wise the week was a lot better. Lectures came and gave us a brief lowdown on the political climate of Brazil, its status as an economic powerhouse, and the revitalization plan of Cabucu de Baixo. My favorite academic part of the week was by far my Urban Development and Sustainable Environments class where we discussed if there could ever be a "sustainable mega-event" inside a city. Us 32 students all come from very different academic backgrounds and its really great to converse about the revitalization aspects that a mega-event brings to a city vs. its grave environmental impact. In fact, it impressed me SO much that I've decided to write my comparative paper for my Politics and Development course about exactly that!

Okay, on to the more fun part. Wednesday we had a "DIY Morning" so Emma and I took a lil' trip to Bixiga, which is an Italian community in Sao Paulo. An organization called Novolhar Bixiga had reached out to IHP about the possibility of coming to learn a bit more about their organization and the community. Once we got there though we realized that they had forgotten and were forced to wing it. Which actually turned out to be AWESOME because we got to hang out with a bunch of 11 year olds and talk to them about the kinds of food they ate (which is pertinent to my final Comparative Analysis paper) and dancing (which is what Emma is all about). They then showed us some Capoeira, which is a Brazilian dance that employs some crazy martial arts and aerobatics. We then got to meet this 95 year old nugget of a man who lived next door to the organization. For the past 15 years he has cooked 300L of soup a day for homeless peoples in the community. He eventually convinced a local steakhouse to donate 20kg of meat a day to his operation. Talk about gleaning for a cause. I am telling you though, this man was the shit.

Friday after class we stopped by the bars near Mackenzie University and hung out with some students and taught them how to play Flip Cup! This seems to be a pattern. You would not believe how crowded bars around the university get on Thursday and Friday afternoons. There is barely any room to walk and people are drunk and fighting by 4 pm. We then had a gathering with us 32 students, faculty, and our host families to celebrate the experiences that we have been having. Meeting everyone was great, but our host brothers stupid girlfriend came along and was a bummer the whole night. Allegra and I got pretty emotional when we got up to speak about how much we love the fam (Legs cried, I laughed awkwardly) and we ate more pineapple than I would care to admit. We then went to a bar and talked for a while and somehow didn't get back until 4am.

We then had to be up and at em by 8am to go back to the case study community and help with an environmental celebration that consisted of planting trees, painting plastic flowers, coloring with kids, and walking around their awesome community garden. There were kittens there too that I couldn't stop playing with which was a welcome lil' surprise. I also made friends with a five year old boy Victor Gabriel as soon as I took out my frisbee. He was a rambunctious little nugget and I got quite the workout retrieving my frisbee and chasing him around. That night we all went out to Joy Club, which is a hip hop club in Vila Madalena. I am not a dancer by any means but they played hip-hop hits that were popular in 2009 so I instantly felt comfortable. We didn't get home until 4:30am, and then I had to be up at 8am for a trip to this market called Embu Das Artes in the wayyyyyyy north of town.

After an hour and a half long bus ride Emma, Allegra, Natalie W, Kidane, and I arrived to the market and instantly fell in love. There were so many stalls boasting beautifully crafted sandals, bags, jewelry pieces, and... PUPPIES AND KITTENS! There were actually at least 100 kittens and puppies up for adoption I lost my shit. Anyways, the market is located in this little sleepy part of Sao Paulo that epitomizes what I though Brazil was going to be like. There was a light rain coming over the hills and a woodwind band played as we sampled crepes on a stick, some cool coconut treats, coconut water, and tapioca. Thank god I walked so much or I would probably feel worse about myself. I bought a really pretty turquoise necklace and wanted to buy a dog. After the market I went to a soccer game near Clinicas. Corinthias and Cruziero tied 0-0 and it was an incredibly uneventful game. Probably because I was and still am exhausted. But at least I can say that I have been to a soccer game in Brazil because people here are futbol FANATICS. I have never heard so much cursing during a game before.

I prom prom promise that I will have a more interesting blog post later in the week but for now I must sleep.

 Emma teaching some dancing (or learning Capoeria) in Bixiga

The man with the soup. Gotta love him.  

 Futbolllll!

 Leather maps at the Embu Das Artes Market. 

Gabriel Victor and me before he started crying. 

 Emma and a crepe on a stick at the market!

Hayley, me, and some kittenz!

My Life Is A Joke

No seriously though. Since I have essentially been running around like a chicken with its head cut off these past two weeks I haven't really had a chance to sit down and reflect on how incredibly privileged I am. Not only am I a white, middle-class, American female, but I also have a family who is financially stable and values education enough to send me to a college that supports adventures like the one I am embarking on.

I don't know exactly what I expected when I signed up for this program, especially when it came to the homestay aspect. I love meeting new people and since I did not grow up in your typical nuclear family I somewhat craved the experience that living with a homestay family would provide. The Perini's are basically the "American Dream" family transplanted to Sao Paulo and I am in love with it. My "parents" have been together since they were fifteen, we have happy hour every friday with their parents, host siblings, and friends, and I have a golden retriever named Frej for godsakes. I really don't know their exact economic bracket but the Perini's are well-off enough to have a housekeeper and a cook. I am incredibly thankful for my upbringing and wouldn't trade it for the world, but it's incredible to experience a lifestyle that is both foreign in location and in practice. I come home, have a delicious homecooked dinner with the whole family, and then watch soap operas with everyone in Portuguese until it's time to pretend to do homework. To say I am privileged would be the understatement of the century.

Did I mention that the Perini's have a beach apartment at Guaruja, which is probably the prettiest island I HAVE EVER BEEN TO EVER. Well. Actually the only island. But I digress. See what I said about my life being a joke. After Friday family happy hour, my host fam, Allegra, and I packed into our car and drove to Guaruja which is about 2 hours outside of Sao Paulo. Eager to escape the dirtiest and biggest city we have ever experienced Allegra and I could not contain our excitement as soon as we got to the beach. There were clear blue waters, islands raising above the ocean mist, and girls and boys alike in the smallest bikini's ever. It really was a Brazilian paradise come to life. I spent all day drinking Skol (which is a popular beer here) and tanning on the beach because my parents and host sister are probably the biggest peer pressurers ever when it comes to drinking. Once our parents went back to the apartment Allegra and I talked with our sister Carol and her 8+ friends who for the most part spoke English! They were super super cool and would not stop saying "shut up bitch" in English. They thought it was freaking hilarious. We also taught them Flip Cup which they were in love with and we got the ultimate compliment from our sister that we were the best host siblings that they have hosted. So cheers to that!

Sunday Allegra and I went to Liberdade, which is the largest Japanese community in the world outside of Japan. They have this huge Sunday outdoor market full of trinkets, food, and gifts. I bought a headband, a ring, a necklace with a pepper on it, 2 plates for my South African host families, and this yummy cake thing from a food stand that I can't remember. I wanted to buy a succulent because it was only 5 Reals but I could not possibly keep it alive. Or get it through customs. Oh, and I finally ran today which is good because I am convinced that my family is trying to kill me because they feed me too much every day. But if that is my biggest problem then my life is actually a joke. Also, my dad just called me out for not being deep enough in my blog posts so apologies to the five of you who read my blog. I'm just tired all the time and leave blog writing until 11PM. Perhaps I will write one with more pizzaz during one of the classes that I'm not paying attention to tomorrow. Ciao!

 How crowded my subway ride is every day. No wonder I'm always late to class. 

Me and my host dog Frej just palin' around

 Our big ol' Brazilian/Italian Family after Happy Hour!

 Getting nutty with a coconut on the beach

Guaruja, AKA PARADISE

 Teaching Brazilians Flip Cup. He lost. 

 Those yummy and weird cakes I ate at Liberdade

My favorite picture from the market. 

On a more serious note, my thoughts and prayers go out to DC and the families of those who were affected by the atrocity that occurred at the Navy Yard today. While in a country that is constantly being characterized by its crime, it is sad to see my own country affected by such a preventable tragedy. I suggest we abide by Chris Rock's words of wisdom.

Two Weeks Down, Two To Go

Alrighty alrighty alrighty, it has been two weeks now and I feel like it has only been a few days in the good ol' Sao Paulo. I feel a bit more comfortable whenever I take the subway, walk to class, or attempt to order something in Portuguese. Spoiler... I still can't speak a lick of Portuguese. "Thank you", "Sorry, "How much", and "Where is the bathroom" can pretty much get you wherever you need to go. My birthday was this past Monday and considering how god awful my past three birthdays have been I honestly was not expecting much. Allegra and I arrived late to class (per usual) and I was greeted by 34 people singing a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" and a brigadeiro, which is a traditional Brazilian bonbon. Real talk, not a huge fan. It's a little chewy and condensed-milky in my opinion. I got a pang of homesickness later in the night and started skyping Daniela in my kitchen when BAM, my host parents come bursting in the kitchen with a delicious chocolate mousse cake, singing "Happy Birthday" in Portuguese and English. Plus they gave me some Havaianas which is pretty nifty! Then I got to Skype some of my best friends and my father which is always nice.

Tuesday I took a trip to the Alana Institute which works on curbing the exploitation of children in the media. I didn't really understand how they went about doing that, and the explanation was probably quite literally lost in translation, but they also provide afterschool care, musical lessons, tutoring, painting lessons to seniors, and a whole host of other things in a favela town. What really impressed me was A) the fact that they received all the funding from private entrepreneurs which is almost unheard of in a periphery city and B) their operation is being threatened by the state because they technically live in an environmentally protected flood zone and could be displaced at any moment. In their place a Linear Park would be built. Oswaldo and Amanda of Alana were extremely kind and forthcoming when we visited Alana, cramming us into their tiny little office and answering all of our questions while we dined on apples and a "nutritional cake" that their nutritionist had made (so so great that they have a nutritionist who feeds the 364 kids who come through Alana everyday).

This visit contrasted quite nicely with our visit to Cidade Jardim, which is a planned community located  near the business district of the city and the Pinheiros River. This river is probably the most polluted river I have ever experienced in my life. The smell of the sewage that comes from all over the city comes to rest in the stagnant water of the river making even the nicest part of town spell god awful. I digress. Jardim is a planned community for the elite of Sao Paulo that contains a mall at the base of the complex and interchanging residential and corporate towers on top. I do enjoy the idea of a concentrated community such as this because in a city this crowded any way to avoid driving (and emitting dem gasses) is a good plan. Walking into the mall though we couldn't shake the feeling of disgust as well saw the favelas we had seen the day before replaced with Fendi, Gucci, Cartier, etc. There was a yacht LITERALLY in a store in the mall, and the playground on the roof of the mall offered some of the most amazing views of the city. As we observed this never ending landscape we were all shocked to see a tiny favela covered in the shadows of this massive and exclusive community.

On Thursday we had the pleasure of meeting with Graffiteros (graffiti artists) and Pixadores (artists who tag inconceivable spaces) to learn about the art movement that is sweeping Sao Paulo. While Sao Paulo is the definition of a concrete jungle many inhabitants attempt to beautify the area with amazing works of graffiti art. These beautiful pieces are contrasted by crude tags by Pixadores, who tag almost any blank space they can find to make their mark on the very city that does not accept them. We were shown around by Amanda Dorian, who is arguably one of the most revered female Graffiteros in Brazil. As we walked through the Vila Madalena (a super hip part of town) and Beco De Batman (an alley COVERED in street art) I was astounded by the way these artists managed to transgress the social norms of the city and beautify it in their own unique way.

A common theme that rang true to me through this week was the conflict that Sao Paulo is experiencing with first nature (untouched, natural areas that are typically considered "beautiful") and second nature (man-made structures that exhibit a different kind of beauty). My scope of study has caused me to really only consider the value of first nature, but the struggle between the Alana Institute and the government and the Graffiteros and blank space have caused me to redefine "beauty" in terms of human rights. Had i considered the idea of those living near Alana being displaced by a park a few months ago, I would have automatically vied for the creation of public space. Now that I have seen the faces of those who's lives could be uprooted because of human intervention, I am starting to reconsider what I consider to be beautiful and sound.

Anyways, enough of that. I'm going to Guaruja tomorrow with my host family and Allegra, which is a beach an hour and a half from Sao Paulo. Wahooo!

 Recycling units inside of the Alana Institute

 View from the top of the Cidade Jardim. Favelas are directly below. 

Me and Allegra, my IHP homestay sister!

The beauty of Beco de Batman

Graffiti in Beco de Batman