What I've Been Up To....

I've been a busy girl since I last updated my blog! I've never had so many friends in my life and I'm loving being busy having fun going out almost every day!
Last week my host mom, Lais, took me shopping at one of the malls in Campo Grande. This mall was connected with a supermarket kind of like Costco minus the samples! We had fun looking at all the clothes but not buying any. Everything is expensive and I didn't find a lot of things I liked. But I was excited to see that they had colored pants in one of the stores!! I miss colored pants!! I must start the trend here!!

 

This picture may look random and weird but it's actually way cool because the model I'm smiling next to is my cousin Camila!! I just talked to yesterday on skype and she is just as beautiful on  Skype as she is as a model of a shoe store! My cousin is a super model! haha! She's also coming to visit on Saturday!

 

Last Friday I had to get a letter from the police or they would send me home. So after a morning full of business and running around, my host mom and I went to a nice restaurant called "Fogao de Minas". I had some interesting experiences inside that restaurant...

 

 

My host mom put three things on my plate and told me to try them. She wouldn't tell me what it was first. After I tried them she told me that the yellowish worm on the left is cow stomach, the center piece of meat is cow liver, and the meat on the right is cow tongue!!! I really didn't like any of them but the least repulsive was the cow tongue surprisingly! The worst was the liver! It was terrible! I'm so glad she didn't tell me or I wouldn't have tried it at all!

 

This is chicken and it was really good. I got two servings of it. I thought it was cooked in herbs. After I finished my second serving of it my host mom told me what the black stuff was that I thought was herbs. It was BLOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I almost gagged! Chicken in BLOOD!!!! Oh my heck I about died!

 

This I didn't try at Fogao de Minas but I thought I'd include it. Those black things are chicken hearts! Yes, I ate a chicken heart and I knew it was a chicken heart beforehand too! It tasted like...chicken!

 

 

After Lais and I were done with all our business with police I went to seminary and then went to my friend's house to practice in our "band!" We played "Dust in the Wind" and ate hot dogs.

My friend's names left to right: Vitor, Pedro, Humberto, and then me. They all play the guitar and Vitor also plays the violin.

 

 

Saturday I went with Humberto to his friend's house. We played Just Dance and Egyptain Rat Screw - my two favorite games ever!! It felt like the USA...kind of! Everyone thought Egyptian Rat Screw was awesome and so I've already spread some America culture in Brazil! Afterward we went out for sushi. I HATE fish and the whole world knows so when I told my host mom I was going out for sushi she was surprised and she called me twice to make sure! Haha! Yes, I tried it but I didn't like it at all! I didn't even like sushi with strawberries and no fish! It must be the way they make the rice. I ate soba instead and it was very delicious!

 

 

Sunday I went with Lais to a show at the park. They have a big show there for free the first weekend of every month. This time the band was called "Cidade Negra" a reggae band! I really enjoyed it but didn't recognize a single song of course!

 

This is Paulo. He helps out at the Pesque Pague and is way nice! He helped me a lot when I first arrived since he speaks English fluently. He still helps me a ton and I really like him! He's a good friend.

 

I like this picture because on the left is a REALLY drunk guy! There were lots of interesting people. A mother and her daughter came up to me and asked me where I bought my shoes. I said, "Sorry, I bought them at a store called PacSun in the United States!" I miss PacSun!! 

 

 

 

Everyone told me that there were hardly any people at this show and that many times there's twice as many! It's because people in Campo Grande like a type of music called "sertaneja" which is like country. My host mom HATES sertaneja!!

 

 

Yesterday I went to my friend Vitor's house after seminary to hang out and eat dinner. We had pasta with hot dogs- Humberto's special creation!

With me in this picture is my friend Aline. I love her so much! We have a lot of fun playing card games and talking. She also speaks english very well but we mostly just speak portuguese.

 

In this picture is Aline, me and my friend and Aline's boyfriend, Willkes. Everyone likes to tease me because I also give a thumbs up to everything and it's automatic! They say, "Jessica, do you like this movie?" Yes! Thumbs up! It's just automatic!

 

Willke's attempt to play the violin! Pretty hilarious!! Haha!

 

Churrasco de Rotary!! (Rotary Barbecue)

Last Sunday I was invited to go to a Rotary "churrasco" or barbecue. Churrasco is very popular here I think because it combines two things that Brazilians love: food and people! Sure, we have "barbecues" in the USA but they don't compare the "churrasco" of Brazil!! Take a look at my photos and you will see why!

 

 

The spread! We had rice, mandioca (my favorite food here in Brazil!!) farinha de mandioca com carne (mandioca flour with meat which is also one of my very favorite things in Brazil!), fruit, salad, banana bread, and of course, MEAT!! And lots of it! So delicious!

 

I never saw this at a barbecue in the USA! Look at the apple bird! So cute!!!

 

Farinha de Mandioca! Yummm! Lots of people mix it with beans and rice and stuff like that. I just like it plain. Regular mandioca is to the right in the picture. You can kind of see it. It's like a mixture of a potato, banana and squash. It's really dense with a hint of sweetness! I've had it fried, boiled, baked, in bread, in flour, in stew, in biscuits, in stir fry, in chips, mandioca EVERYTHING! But it's gooooood! Reeeealy good!

 

 

This guy came as the entertainment. Wow! It was incredible! I can't remember his whole name but his first name is Marcelo. He was also very nice and told me about the history of the guitar in Brazil. Guitar in Portuguese is "violão" which is unique to Brazil because every other country in the world uses something similar to "guitar" or "guitarra" (unless you're speaking Chinese I guess!)

 

 

To the left is Anita, the Rotary Club President, Marcelo, me, and my Rotary counselor Luiz.

 

Primera Festa!!!!

Last Saturday night I went to my first party with my friends Deborah and Denisse. It was a surprise farewell party for a Brasilian guy going to New York as an exchange student. I had never met the guy but a lot of kids from school were there who new him so it wasn't too awkward!

We had a great time! The music was so loud and everyone danced like crazy! Sadly, I'm the most awkward dancer in the world and so I had to be taught! It was hilarious! But by the end I had improved a little bit I think! The key is to look weird and then you won't! I definitely took a giant leap out of my comfort zone!

There was also alcohol at this party! Ahh! I have never been so close to alcohol in my life and some of my friends tried to get me to drink. I'm so grateful that there are lots of people here that don't drink. It makes it much easier for me to say no and not be questioned like crazy! I went up to the bar one time and asked for water and they laughed! Apparently they don't serve water at bars...haha!

 

 

My friends Deborah and Denisse. Denisse is from Mexico and Deborah is a good friend from school!

 

 

 

Everyone agreed that my dress was WAY too long and that I need to wear heels! Haha!

 

My friends and I left the party at about 11:00 pm but Denisse heard from some other people that it lasted unil 10:00 am!!! I would not last that long! I would be sleeping on the floor!

After I got back from this party I went to ANOTHER party for my friend Humberto's birthday! I stayed there and talked to his friends until 3:30 am!!!!!!!!! First time in my life I've ever stayed out so late!! But I was having an awesome time talking to my new friends! We decided that we're going to have a party and I'm going to make American pancakes! I had Brazilian pancakes last week and it they were more similar to enchiladas and lasagna with chicken....didn't resemble American pancakes a single bit! haha!

My host mom is really awesome! She came down at 3:30 am to the room where the party was at my apartment and asked if I wanted to stay longer!!! I love her!

I only got three hours of sleep that night because I had to get up for church at 6:00 am. Don't worry, I caught up on sleep at school! Haha!!

 



Church Activities!

Friday night I went to the stake dance in Campo  Grande! Stake dances are way more popular here than they are in Utah. It was luau themed and the decorations were so great! It was my job to tell the DJ to switch songs if I heard anything bad since I was the only one who really understood english! That was a pretty important responsibility I think! I had an awesome time and made lots of friends! I also learned to dance to Paraguayan music!

 

My friends left to right: Juliana, Larisa, me, and Sabrina. Larisa and Sabrina are my bishop's daughters! They are the sweetest girls in the world!

 

 

My new friends left to right: Tiana, Fred, Deborah, Isabela

 Guess how old Deborah and Isabela are...

Fourteen-years-old!!! Crazy right?! They are the kindest people and really took care of me at the dance! They always made sure I wasn't alone and was having a good time.

 

 

My friends at the dance invited me to the mutual activity Saturday morning starting at 9:00 am and lasting until 3:00. Very different from mutual in the USA starting at 7:00 and ending at 9:00 on Wednesdays! It was really fun! We played volleyball and I learned that Brazilians are WAY better at volleyball than Americans!! The girls went shopping to get popscicles and ingredients for "brigadeiro". When we came back we made stroganoff for lunch. It was very delicious! Brazilian stroganoff is different than American stroganoff. I think it has more ketchup or something. But it was tasty! We ate it with fried potatoe pieces and rice. The potato pieces taste just like potato chips just in little flakes. They're very popular in Brazil I have found! Personally, I'm not a huge fan but most people are. I'm really weird-that's the other thing I have learned in Brazil!!

I loved hanging out with my friends from the church! It was so fun to spend time with people I could really relate to because we share the same values and beliefs. I felt right at home!

 Brazil feels like home to me now.  I'm loving every minute I have here!

 

Desperdida de Maria Dolores

This morning my sister, Maria Dolores went away to Mexico on  her own exchange adventure. I can't believe she's already gone! I only got three weeks with her but I'm so grateful for the time I had. She really helped me adapt to the city and make new friends! She also saved my life on the busy roads many times since I was clueless about the traffic laws and patterns when I came!! Obrigada minha irmã!!
Last week we had a party for Maria at a pizza restaurant. We had pizza "rodizio" style, where waitors come out with all sorts of different kinds of pizzas on trays and ask who wants what type of pizza. I sampled all sorts of different kinds. Most Brazilian pizzas don't have sauce, have a thin crust, and lots and lots of cheese!

 

Outside the restaurant after dinner. I don't remember everyone's names.

Left to right: Bruna and her boyfriend (can't remember his name!), Maria, Arthur, (don't remember the names of the people behind Arthur and Maria!) Bruno, behind Bruno: Maria Luisa, Rodrigo, me, and I don't remember the names of the people on my right! Sorry!

One of the biggest challenges in Brazil is remembering everyone's names! I have to remember vocabulary, grammar, think about what people are saying word for word, and then remember each name! It's stressful! Haha!

 

 

Wednesday night some family came over to have dinner and say good bye to Maria. It was soooo cute watching Ana Clara (white shirt), and Awara (pink dress) play the piano! They are the cutest little girls!

 

 

Thursday after school in the morning I went home and many of Maria's friends were there! My host mom said I could skip school in the afternoon and hang out with Maria. (On Tuesday and Thursday I have school both in the morning and in the afternoon with a 90 minute lunch break inbetween)

Names left to right: Victor, Arthur, Humberto, Paulino

Humberto made lunch for all of us which was very nice of him! Then we had ice cream soup because the fridge was broken! Yumm!

I taught them Egyptian Rat Screw and I think it was a hit! Of course, when I played I won every time! I ALWAYS win Egyptian Rat Screw! That's why it's the best game ever! hehe!

 

 

Maria and her friend Juliana

 

 

 

 I taught Arthur how to play a duet on the piano. All Americans recognize it but I'm not sure what the name is! Is it called chopsticks...? We had a great time playing it over and over and over!

 

 

After I taught Arthur how to play piano, he taught me to play the guitar. At least he tried... It was so hard!

 

 

Can't wait until I'm a master at guitar! haha!

 

 

Friday morning we drove Maria to the airport.

Names left to right: Ana Laura, Arthur, Maria, me

 

 

Yes, ebarrassing picture. We crammed four people in the back! Bruna is on my right.

 

 

At the airport before Maria's departure to Sao Paulo.

Names left to right: Ana Laura, Bruna, Maria Dolores, Maria Luisa, Arthur, Jessica, Denisse

 

 

Saying good bye to Maria! We will miss her!

Names left to right: Mariana, Ana Laura, Bruna, Maria Dolores, Maria Luisa, Denisse, Arthur, Jessica, Lais

 

 

I'm so blessed to have such a great host sister!! Can't wait to find out all about Mexico!

 

 

 

 

Coxim

Over the weekend, Maria and I took a trip to her grandparent's farm in Coxim. Coxim is a very small, cute town and also extremely hot! The farm is a tourist attraction outside of the city.

We left early in the morning on a HUGE, fancy bus! Maria and I slept much of the way. I look so beautiful in this picture, I admit it!

Ostrich farm!!

Fields of gold!

Not really, I think it's dead corn.

Another ostrich farm! Apparently ostrich skin is the second strongest in the world after elephant skin! It's pretty popular here for leather boots, purses, etc.

Farms on the way to Coxim.

We had a blast swimming in the lake. It was so warm and beautiful!

The kids of Maria's grandparent's friends went with us to the farm. I was able to help them with their English homework which was pretty awesome! I felt really smart!

 From left to right: Annelyne, Antonio, Alyane, and Maria

The lake is SO beautiful! It felt awesome in the blazing heat!

And yes, this should be a calendar picture I know!!

Grandparent's home. It is beautiful and quite big.

View of the lake from the house. Everyone kept saying it is so ugly right now because it's so dry and that it would be more beautiful during the winter. I thought it was beautiful the way it was!

Um cavallo branco!! A white horse! So beautiful! I didn't hang out with the horses much because I wasn't sure they were friendly.

The horse was giving me a stare down.

Yes, they have horses and ostriches!!! Cool right! This one liked to follow me around a lot. It kind of scared me!

Posing for the picture! I honestly don't know what he was doing! Silly ostrich!

Sunday we left the farm and went up the stairs to see the Cristos of Coxim. It looks over the city like in Rio de Janeiro.

This was my favorite part.

All that was missing was my Mom and Dad and little sisters. I thought of them constantly. They would love the farm! Lola would love the ostriches and cats I'm sure! Maybe someday we can go together.

Monday morning starting at 4:00 am, Maria and I took a long trip back to Campo Grande from Coxim by bus. I was glad to come home and also glad to skip school!