Last Week: Vol. I

I'd like to start this blog post with a short language lesson.

Ahem.

In Portuguese, there are many contractions. Por exemplo, the preposition em (in) combines with the definite articles o or a (the, feminine or masculine) to form no or na, depending on the gender of the word. Another interesting point that will seem familiar to all you romance language speakers out there, is that the name of a country is often accompanied by a definite article. In English we might say "I really like Brazil." In Portuguese, we say "Eu gosto muito do Brasil" (I really like the Brazil). Weird, huh?

Well, to those of you who are wondering where I'm going with this, I can assure you that I have a distinct reason for bringing it up. If you would take a look at the title of my blog in the top-left corner of this webpage (I'll give you a moment to do so... okay, you've had long enough), you might-- or maybe you wouldn't-- notice that I have quite clearly made an alteration. It no longer reads "Um ano em Brasil," but "Um ano no Brasil." To put it simply, I was wrong. Then I fixed it. The trouble is I can't very easily change the URL of this web address without leaving many of my fans back home very lost and confused. (By the way, anyone who reads this blog will hereby be referred to as "my fan." If you've got a problem, take it up with my secretary.)

So, I have changed the title of the blog, but the grammatically incorrect web address will stand forever as a monument to my once extremely limited knowledge of the Portuguese language. I hope that, in weeks to come, I will be able to laugh at the mistake rather than cringe at my ignorance. Wow, this has gone on long enough. Let the story-telling begin!

My first week of school was full of learning, and my teachers had very little to do with it. I've been put in a 3rd year class, so all my classmates will be graduating in December. They're all as rowdy and anxious to move on as I was in the last months of my schooling in Anacortes. As a matter of fact, they are quite a bit more rowdy. For instance, whenever anyone in the class stands up to throw something away, use the restroom, etc., every student whistles and woops in a very how's-it-going-sexy? kind of way. I can't tell you how hilarious this is. At first I was slightly shocked at this mild form of harrassment. But after they did it to me, I realized that it is all in good fun, and now I'm able to participate just like all the other students. The teachers usually don't react at all, except maybe to throw in a whistle of their own.

The school day starts at 7:00 and ends at 12:40, so it's nice to have the whole afternoon to do what I like. However, it's difficult getting up at 6:00 in the morning when I know that all my friends in college are starting classes much later. But before school and during our breaks, the cantina sells fresh pastries and coffee which help us stay awake. Our breaks are just like recess, but without the monkey bars. After two fifty-minute classes, we have a twenty-minute break. Then two more classes, a break, two more classes, and we're done. Simple, né?

All my classes are interesting, but some of them only because they're in Portuguese. It feels really different than in the US because the students stay in the same classroom all day and the teachers move around when the bell rings. Every day is a different schedule of classes. The 3rd years all take English, physics, geography, biology, Portuguese literature, chemistry, Portuguese composition, world history, math, and Portuguese grammar. Lots of work! But the weird thing is, I don't have to do anything. Really. Nothing. The teachers wouldn't mind if I put my head down and slept. According to them, exchange students are here to learn the language, not to study and take tests.

Needless to say, this gets pretty boring, especially because every class is just a big lecture. We never get up to do labs or anything, and there's only so much I can handle listening quietly or passing notes with my friends. Much of the time, I pull out my notebook and take notes. In a few months, I'll look back at these and laugh at my awful Portuguese, but it is helping me learn the language. When the students have an in-class assignment, I try my best to do it along with them, even though I don't have to hand it in. It keeps things interesting. It's nice (nice? Hell, it's the best thing EVER) that I don't have to worry about due dates, grades, and maintaining a GPA.

Oh yeah, and I'm making friends. Most of the people in my class (we have about 50 students, which is normal for this type of high school) are eager to get to know me and hang out on the weekends. The hard part is sorting out the ones who really like me as a friend from the ones who just want to be friends with the new exchange student. It usually doesn't take long to figure out who is whom, though. The ones who just want to be friends with the American kid are usually much more annoying and difficult to have a conversation with. But regardless of my secret judgments, I stay friendly with everyone. As an exchange student (and a citizen of Planet Earth) it's unwise to do anything else.

I also had a very interesting weekend. I'll post more about that tomorrow, but I'll tell you now that it involved a visit to a very beautiful and strangely tropical city park in São Paulo, and a very annoying girl tricking me into going with her to a drunken party.

Cliffhanger!