Happy Braziliversary to me!

 Today marks one whole year in Brazil! 

You heard it here first, folks.  I survived one year in Brazil.  Let's celebrate by reflecting on my 'Brazil' goals from last year, before leaving the homeland.

 

"I've created a few personal goals in my head (which come just before my mental list of things I still need to buy from Mary Kay before I go - 3 bottles of After Sun the best product EVER!) One of my goals for this adventure is to become more accepting and less judgemental- especially if I don't agree on a certain point. Husband has made me very aware of this flaw - in a caring way of course - but I do realize that when I disagree I get pretty strongly opinionated about it. I also realize that this makes the person I'm talking to feel like THEY are stupid, not the idea... I may be aware of that... so I'mma try 'n work on it.

Goal #2 - Hey let's just go ahead and turn this into a list -
Learn how to speak Portuguese fluently enough that I can have easy conversations, I can understand what is being said in a group of people, and I am not constantly translating in my head.

Goal #3 - Learn how to live in another country (why not try... ohhh... Brazil!) Learn how to be more wary and cautious, open minded, careful, learn the city, learn who to avoid, etc. In Toronto I feel pretty comfortable to walk home by myself at 1 in the morning and not even be talked to or even to drop a 50 on the ground and have someone pick it up and give it back to me :D

Goal #4 - My favourite goal - give to directions to a tourist who needs to know how to get somewhere in the city! Achieving this goal will make my whole experience SOOOO awesome and will prove to me that I am a LOCAL! If nothing else happens, I hope I achieve this goal. Well, I suppose all goals will have to precede this one so... let's just go for 'em all!"

 

So, I gotta say, things are looking pretttttty good as far as the list goes.  Well, maybe except the judgemental thing - I'm still pretty judgemental.  What!  Shut up, you guys are stupid.  Whoooops... see?  Sorry I'm working on it still.  ;-) 

(p.s. in case anyone out there lost their sense of humour... just kidding! ... you know I couldn't live without you, my Bloggy Friends!)

But moving along.  Regarding #2, Yes!  I can definitely say I have reached this level of Portuguese.  It feels ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.  When I got here, everything sounded like one giant, long, (angry) sentence.  Anyone else feel that?  That Portuguese sounds angry as hell when you don't understand what they're saying?!?  Well, now I guess I can say it's 'passion'.  Hahaha, or anger.  I'm still really not sure.  

#3, Funny.  I was just thinking today.  Things I have learned while living in Brazil: How to cross the street safely.  When I first arrived, I would literally just walk into traffic because in Canada, they will stop.  Every time.  You can bet your life on it.  I have!  And I've won.  In Brazil, you would lose.  Badly.  So, learning how to live in another country?  Check.  Also, can I get some props on the fact I haven't been robbed, or even in any danger of any kind?  Any of you who bet I would be, you can pay up!

#4 Yeah baby!  Actually, it's really strange but I think I have this face of a person who knows the entire bus transit schedule or something.  Every time I am waiting for a bus someone, without fail, asks me if so-and-so bus passes here.  If such-and-such a bus goes to the bridge in Barra.  If I can give them a dollar.  Yeaaaaaah, they always sneak that in there too and then I'm thrown off so I usually give it.  

 

This concludes my Year In Review.  Here's to the next year (and in my next blog I will have some more good news regarding our newly found apartment!)  The next year will bring another new experience!!!  Can't wait!