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Backpack Party!!
Alreet everyone!! I'm starting to pick up a sleet Geordie twang off of Nicola, a Geordie lass that is volunteering here too!!! lol.
Hmmm...where to begin, where to begin? I've done quite a lot of random stuff since I last checked in!!
The other day I got on my first bus...IT WAS TERRIFYING!!! Im kinda used to it now, as I have been on a few now, but the roads here are crazy!! It was like being on the ******* Oblivion at Alton Towers!! The bus just basically goes down a vertical drop down the hill into the village!! I thought we we're all going to die!! I was bear hugging the railings on the bus for my dear life, and all the local people were looking at me like..."hmmmm...ok.." But, alas, I am still alive...obviously.
Also,we had a "Happy fourth of July" party last night, which was fun!! We all had a BBQ and hi-5d and said cheesy American phrases, in honour of Carrie, from Cally. GO THE OC!!! lol.
I've also decided to take Portuguese lessons with a guy called Tom who comes to the house and teaches some of the others. It is an expense, but, honestly, it is practically impossible to get by without knowing at least a little of da lingo! And his lessons are fun, too...He is actually Brazilian, but studied English in America, so he has an American accent-it's quite cool!
I also went to my project- CIADS for the first time yesterday.
It takes soooo.....long to get there! It's in Jardim America, which is like, on the other friekin' side of Brazil or something!! And it takes about 2 hours one way!! (The wheels on the bus go round and round....lol. )
When I got there I was quite overwhelmed- it's slap bang in the middle of the favela, and hardly anybody understands any English- and I don't speak any Portuguese, really, so yeah....
Anyway, in the mornings we have to look after the kids, it's like a play group really, and they just mess around and have fun. THEY ARE ALL ABSOLUTELY MENTAL THOUGH!!! It is funny, because even though we don't understand a word that eachother is saying, we'll have these random "conversations" where we just say a load of crap to eachother, probably, and nod, until they look at me as if to say "you complete idiot!" then walk away ashaking their heads.lol. (Hence the need to learn some Portuguese!)
Then we have lunch for 3 HOURS!!! And we have to g to a "kilo resteraunt" just outside the favela, where you pick what you want then they weigh your plate to se how much it costs- kinda like a buffet pick-n-mix!lol.
OOO...and I have discoverred THE nicest sweets ever, in the kilo, they are like crumbly peanut butter, in a little slab, and they are gowgeous...mmm...peanut butter...
AND they are only about 50 centinas, which is like, 12 and a half pence! Bargain!!! lol.
My English class is in the afternoons from 2 until 4, and that was quite good, actually! The class yesterday consisted of a random mix of 3 young girls, a teenage girl, and a 26 year old artist, called Wagner.
The girls all have a good elementary understanding of English-so we can communicate at least, but Wagner was a total beginner, so I started teaching him basic pronouns and conversation whilst Kate, another teacher, taught the girls.
It was quite embarrassing, though, at one point, because Wagner, who is really sweet, took a bit of a shine to me, I think!
I was trying to get him to say "You're name is Victoria! to me but he kept on saying "You/'re name is Linda!"
I was obviously confused by this, even more so when all the girls started giggling- I thought that perhaps he had met an English girl called Linda before or something, and he thought that it was my name, too!
Anyways, then, Daniel, another guy who works on the project who speaks a little English informed me that "linda" meant "beautiful." I was so.... embarrassed!
At the end of the lesson, Wagner gave Kate one of his paintings, which are really nice to take home, as yesterday was hwe last day, and I think he felt bad because I was there too, and so he made me a little tortoise made of clay!! It was so sweet!!
Anyway, Im waiting at the houde now, as BA have rang me and have said that my baggage is arriving today! YES!!
Anyway, gotta go, Carrie is waiting for the computay mofo's!!
Speak 2u all again soon!
Luv yall
mwa xxxxxx
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