memories...

Saturday morning we embarked on what turned out to be a very memorable, and completely contrary to what I expected week. The drive out commenced at 6am, and, although sleepy, I enjoyed watching the scenery fly by. It was beautiful farmland for the majority of the drive... much like the drive from Seattle to Spokane, but far more intriguing as the land consists of undulating hills and brightly colored crops blanketing the hillside.

We arrived in Ijui at 4:00pm, to find my wonderful Tia Ana and her dog, bolinha, welcoming our arrival. We found out that unfortunately, the bathroom won´t be finished until wednesday, so rather than staying with her, its onto Santa Rosa for me. It was good to see Tia, she is just as I always remember her, although you can tell that she´s getting older, her hair a little grayer, her skin a little more wrinkled, but still just as sweet, caring and hospitable. We stayed for an early dinner, and then took of for the remaining hour and a half to Santa Rosa.

We spent most of our time with Valdir, Jorge´s step brother, wife, and their children, Leticia (25) and Francione (21). Tia Natalia and Ceasar (Valdir´s dad, Jorge´s step dad) came over for Churrasco Saturday night, as well as some other members of Valdir´s family. It was fun to spend time with new people, and get to know more family. I found out from Jorge that my Tia Natalia had a thing for Ceasar when they were young, and wanted to marry him but her parents had other plans. After Ceasar found out that Natalia´s husband passed away 20ish years ago, he called up Natalia and they became friends and eventually got married 16 years ago. I think its really sweet, and interesting to see how life works out.

Leticia and I hit it off completely. She was excited to take me around with her since most of her friends are married (she is too but her husband lives near brasilia most of the time for his work) and can´t go out at night. She invited me to stay with her at her apartment for the night and it was really fun to spend time one on one with someone my age, who I can actually converse with. Saturday night we stayed up late talking about the difference between Brazil and the US, music we like to listen to, dating in both countries, etc. How exciting that I can have a few hour long conversation with someone in portugese without a lot of guesswork? I wish it was this easy with everyone.

Sunday morning, Valdir came and picked us up to go to his brother´s family´s house for more churrasco with the family. Valdir has 3 other siblings, all of which have at least 2 children, and grandkids are coming along as well. It was quite a party, I really hit it off with Valdir´s neice who is a 1st grade teacher here. We talked about Josh and Danny (the two boys I watch in seattle) as she sang songs and danced with her nephew in portuguese. It was really fun to see their interaction and made me miss my boys that much more.

After lunch, Leticia took me out on her motorcycle (yippee!) to the house Xuxa grew up in as a child. She told me all about how she met Xuxa once and how it was by far the greatest moment of her life. For those that don´t know, Xuxa is considered the "Reina do Baixinhos" (queen of the little people: ie: children) here... she had a hit TV show in the 80´s and is basically about as big of a celebrity as you can get here. After seeing Xuxa, we went to her place, made Chimarrão and took off to the town square to chat more, go window shopping and hang out. Apparently there are only things to really do there on Friday night, and so when all else fails, everyone takes to the streets, drinking Chimarrão and playing music really loud from their cars. It was fun and interesting to see how "small town" life works over there. It felt really safe and had a really laid back atmosphere... which really is true of all of brazil. For dinner we went and had brazilian style X-burger at her friend, Milton´s restaurant. Their burgers are crazy big, and full of toppings that we wouldn´t imagine putting on a burger: corn, green beans, a slice of ham, white cheese... I know there were more interesting things than that, but its all I can think of at this moment and the story must go on!

I spent the night at Tia Natalia´s since Leticia had to work in the morning and had breakfast with them. It was fun watching Tia bustle around the kitchen preparing a monster of a lunch we were to have in a few more hours, chatting with her about how we were going to the River for a few days and what we were going to do there, what i´m doing with my life, her reminicing about things in the past. Nothing really sticks out to share with you of what we talked about, but it was nevertheless enjoyable to chat with my tia that I love so much.

After lunch we were off on the hour and a half ride to `Costas´ which, as it turns out just refers to the coast, and really their house is in neither a town nor a development of any sort: just a spot on the river. The house is super rustic, named the `Rancho Bagual´ and is basically a museum of memories and set up for real life as a gaucho. As you enter the one room building, light shines through the planks of wood that make up the walls, and you notice a firepit on the floor, which, I found out, is a gaucho´s "fogo do chao" (literally, floor fire), that they open up a hole in the roof to let the smoke out and make all of their food on. It was quite an experience to be exposed to how they used to do it way back when. Jorge points out to me that they could easily do anything to make their Ranch nicer, but you can tell that Valdir loves it the way it is. He is an ultra-patriot... standing up for president Lula, and almost every article of clothing he has (including the camoflauge that he put on the moment he got there and didnt take off until we were leaving) had both the brazilian and rio grande do sul flag on them somewhere. He is a true gaucho and just loves it. I was also put up to the "do this if you are a true gaucha" test. Luckily, I passed. I had to drink beer and cashasa, get baptized in the river, which I did accidentally when I went wading in the water, slipped on a rock and fell in, and pick up a monsoon (a slimey snake like animal that we used as bait... about 3 feet long... really gross) when it escaped from the bucket and stick it back in. Luckily, they didn´t force me into taking a cold shower and then shots of cashasa to warm me up, that was their last competition for themselves. Valdir was really impressed and I ended up ranking pretty high on his scale, I think.

I also SHOT A GUN for the first time ever! Valdir, Jorge and I were walking up from the boat, and Valdir hands me the gun and says, see that black thing in the tree? try to hit it. Ok, so I do my best to aim, pull the trigger, and my ears are ringing and the black thing is still in the tree. I give the gun back, Valdir loads it, and then gives the gun to Jorge for a turn. He aims, fires, and misses as well. The Valdir takes the gun, loads it again, for what appears to be his turn and says "see that house over there?" BANG! yep, he hit the house all right. So Jorge and I can´t hit the little black thing, but he can hit a house. totally no expertise required. Even I could do that.

The whole week was like this. Random bits of competition, always joking, and laughter throughout. Wednesday night, we sat around the table after dinner talking and I realized that my portuguese at this point is a lot like being 13 again. Sitting at the dinner table with a bunch of my parents friends, wanting to be an adult, so I choose to sit quitely and listen instead of going and playing with the "kids". I can understand some things, but when I´m sitting at a table with a bunch of people who speak portuguese better than me, the conversation goes way over my head. If I pay close attention I can understand and even add to the conversation. But if I space out, my ability to understand completely goes and I have to concentrate really hard to pick the conversation up again. I know, however, that I learn new things daily, and daily I am able to pick up the conversation more and more. Some day (hopefully before I leave) I´ll be able to converse with anyone about basically anything.

Thursday, the day we leave for Santa Rosa, and keep our fingers crossed that Tia Ana´s bathroom is ready enough for us to stop by for the day and spend the night. I get up, pack my bag, and go down to have cafe da manha. Everyone else has eatten, so I sit, listening to musica gauchesa and drinking my coffee, eating some fruit and bread with jam, looking around at the relics of times past that hang on the walls. I take in the scene, realizing that these are my roots. Not that long ago, I´m sure my great grandfather sat making coffee or chimarrao over a fogo do chao just like Valdir did that morning. It is fun to think that this is where my heritage lies.

We get back to Santa Rosa by 11am, and call up Tia. She says the bathroom is almost done and we can come. So after eatting lunch, we head out on our way, only to find that the farmers in Rio Grande do Sul are protesting for more money for their crops. They have blockaded the roads and we are going to have to go a different route, 30Km, out of our way, via the town of Catuípe. The road though, was quite a `memory building experience´ as my mom would say. After only a few minutes down the road, it turns into this unpaved, rocky mess, which is all of the sudden a main highway because of the people trying to get to/from Ijui. We are going only about 40km/hour and are just covered in a heap of red dust, it reminds me of my mom as she would always say when we were driving around Ijui "look at the red dirt!" and now, stuck in a really hot car, since we can't open the windows, all I can see is a cloud of red dirt, and since it hasn´t rained there in almost a month, the plants are covered in it, the fences are covered in it, and now, our car is covered just the same. yes mom, I see the red dirt.

We arrive in Ijui at 4:00, 3 hours after we left Santa Rosa, but Tia is very happy to see us as she thought that we would be there just after 2:00. We sit and chat as Jorge tries to figure out how we are going to get home with all of this protesting. We find out that its not only Rio Grande do Sul, but Santa Catarina and Paraná as well. Jorge decides to go to the police station to ask them what our options are and leaves Tia and I to chat for a while. It was really great just diving into conversation. She showed me the towels she is needlepointing, I tell her about all of the scarfs I like to make. I decide that its a good idea to bring it out with me next time as its bound to be colder and people are going to want scarfs! We also talk briefly about my time so far, my family in Seattle and their ongoing drama, and day dream about wanting it all to go away. Our time is cut short by Jorge returning. He has decided that we leave tonight, after having dinner. As lame as that is... coming all the way out to Ijui only to spend a few hours with tia, I am refreshed and relieved to know that I will be coming back in a few weeks. Just driving through the town reminds me of all of the fun I had here last time and the opportunities I have when I return. We say goodbye to Tia, she says to call her whenever and I can come for as long as I want. It feels good knowing that i´m welcome.

We hop in the car, and start driving back home. 3am we arrive, unscathed, and really tired. Next time, I take the bus.