update o rama

Life in Rio is going to be expected, I guess. Nothing too amazing going on in life right now to be quite honest with you. I'm still really familiarizing myself with this city and the people in it. Trying to understand this culture more and more every day. It's funny how learning a language works. Some days I think I've learned so much up to this point, and then other days I feel like I know absolutely nothing and I should know a lot more for the time I've spent here already. The situation is this. I have a lot of friends that are non-Brazilian, and if they're not Brazilian, chances are they speak English, and for this reason, I haven't been speaking enough Portuguese. But honestly, it's not easy. Imagine sitting in class all day-- 5 hours a day or more-- listening to lectures in a language you really only started learned 6 weeks ago? It takes such a toll on my mind at the end of the day I can't speak any language... instead I just smile and nod. OK, I'm being a little dramatic, but it really is super difficult. Honestly though, the Portuguese I know so far has been pretty rewarding.

The Brazilian people I've met here, the friends I've made, seem to be amazingly loyal, fun people. They're constantly calling me and texting me and messaging me letting me know about plans that they've made or plans they want to make and I absolutely love it. Of course I have conversations with them and we laugh and do stuff, but I want to be able to communicate with them even more. That's why I really am trying to spend some time each day learning vocabulary and asking questions and just putting myself out there.

In other news, I'm starting to plan some trips throughout Brazil for the next few months I'm here.Definitely want to go to the South of Brazil (Florionapolis, Blumenau, and Porto Alegre) and Sao Paulo, and the Northeast.

Classes are in full swing. Hoorah. Not.

Love-
Anthony