Whew!

Today was a very busy and exciting day. The morning started with coffee (yum) and bread in the school cafeteria. This is what Brazilians typically eat every morning. Another interesting tidbit, the napkins here aren't absorbent; they are more like wax paper because people use them to pick up food rather than wipe their mouths or fingers. The school, much like the city, is very beautiful and full of beautiful people. I met the school superintendent, Dr. Lyndaker, the kindergarten supervisor, Mrs. Barbosa, and many other staff members that I can't remember the names or titles of yet. Dr. Lyndaker offered to take us out to lunch today at I-Piatti, an Italian restaurant. He is directing the school's play, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. I told him I would LOVE to help and offered my assistance during the rehearsals and show. Hopefully I am able to do this! My kindergartners are all fabulous. So far, I've noticed that classes are more laid back and children have more independence than they do in the US. Hugging is also completely acceptable and encouraged :) After school, Matt's coordinating teacher, Felipe, showed us more of the neighborhood and bought us food at Memphis Belle. We had these cheese filled croissants and mango juice. Here are some picture of our beautiful neighborhood!

 We always have to remember to look up at the beautiful mountains around the city

 The ballet studio next door

Lazy Sundays

Our first lesson in Rio, don’t wear glasses into the ocean. Two of my roommates, Matt and Bre, both lost a pair in the waves. Lesson number two, waiting for busses can take forever and they WILL drive away if you don’t hail them properly. Lesson number 3, sunscreen is an absolute essential. Sunburn can sneak up on you and takes a while to show up. Lesson number 4, mail to the US takes between 1 and 2 MONTHS… So if you are waiting on a postcard, please be aware of that.

Navigating the streets is becoming easier as we walk around and explore more places. On Saturday night, we walked to the Lagoa and partway around it. By the time we got home, we had walked about 4 miles. I’m going to be in shape! While walking, we happened across a family of Capybaras! They are the largest rodents in the world and native animals to Brazil. On Sunday, we went to the Hippy Fair in Ipanema. The fair is every Sunday until 5pm. There were so many people, vendors, trinkets, colors, and pieces of art. I bought an adorable floppy hat! Overall, we’ve learned a few words and phrases in Portuguese. Here are a couple of the ones I’ve used:

Onde banheiro?- Where is the bathroom?

Praias- Beach

Bom dia/noite- Good day/night

Desculpe- Sorry

Reais- pl. money

Ombrigada- Thankyou

Quantoo custa?- How much?

 The Lagoa at night- Christ the Redeemer in top right

 Capybaras!

 Ipanema

 The Hippy Fair

Teaching starts on Monday morning. The school, Our Lady of Mercy, will give us breakfast and lunch during the week. I’m in a kindergarten room, Matt is with 9^th-12^th, Bre is 1^st grade, and Beth is 5^th. I’ve brought a few books and teaching supplies with me, but I’m not sure how else to prepare. The school day starts at 7am and ends at 3:35pm. I’m so excited to meet my little ones J

We finally made it!

After some hassle at the airport, we've finally arrived in Rio! Our flight was delayed out of Detroit because of some slush, so we didn't make it on our scheduled flight out of Miami. We even ran all the way across the airport to try and catch it. Luckily, everyone was very helpful and accommodating. They gave us a couple meal vouchers and set us up in a nice hotel by the Hilton called Doubletree. They are known for giving cookies at check in :) We arrived in Rio around 6:30pm. We got a tour around the Lagoa at night and came home to our little villa to unpack. It feels very homey and cozy. It's directly across from our school and is gated so it's also very safe. Not soon after settling, we went exploring for somewhere nice to eat. The food is amazing here! As soon as we woke up this morning, we got ready to go to Ipanema. It's one of the nicer beaches west of Copacabana. I saw the ocean and swam in it for the first time!!! Absolutely beautiful. We also met a friend in the water named George who happened to be a lifeguard, so that was very reassuring. Our Portuguese skills are coming along slowly. I managed to buy a coconut to drink out of. Pictures will come once we figure out our wifi situation. Who knows what other adventures we will have tonight. If Brazil is like this all the time, I might seriously consider moving here :)

 Our Doubletree hotel in Miami

Home away from home