Drinks at Copacabana Palace.

If you've never done it, getting drinks at the Copacabana Palace is a nice way to end your night. The drinks are incredibly expensive, but the ambience is pretty cool and there's lot of people watching that makes your R$16 caipirinha worth it.

Go to the pool and hang out there-- it's better than entering the club. Alternatively, you could do tea, but I find that the night crowd is much more interesting.

missing flights and traffic in Sao Paulo.

I've lived in several places throughout my life, and I'm no stranger to traffic jams-- from the Bay Area to Long Island. But I've never, never, never seen such incredible traffic as I had in Sao Paulo. It makes sense to me now why people use helicopters to get to work... it takes forever to get anywhere and do anything.

Case in point. Even though we planned and started my return trip to Garulhos, the international airport in SP, four hours ahead of boarding, we hit so much traffic (and part of it on a motorcycle, at that), that we missed my flight back to Rio de Janeiro.

It might as well have been out of a movie. I headed to Garulhos on a motorcycle of a friend's brother, who races (motos, obv) for a living. Driving 150 km on a highway is fast, my friends, and we still didn't make it in time. After missing the flight, and finding out that the next cheapest tickets were $300 and $500 respectively (I used Webjet, which seems to have a pretty bad policy with exchanging flights if you miss them), I decided to take a bus back (thank goodness it was just Sao Paulo). I caught the 10:30 PM bus back to Rio and arrived around 6 AM at the Rodoviara, and then 7 AM back at home. It was a rough night, but I needed to get out of the city with insane traffic. 23 km in nearly an hour? Ridiculous.

Thoughts on my research conference.

This past week, I presented my findings from my Fulbright research project at the Fifth "Congresso Brasileiro de Ciências Sociais e Humanas em Saúde," a research conference on social sciences and public health. The conference is the second most important conference in the field of public health in Brazil-- the first is ABRASCO, which happens every year that THIS conference doesn't (hence, next year). In fact, many researchers reference to this conference as "ABRASCinha".

I had been preparing for quite a while for this presentation, and after a few rehearsals with my research advisors, and then again with my friend in Sao Paulo, I headed to the event to give my speech. It was interesting (although a bit difficult) to learn about all the different projects in my field, "Internet, Society, and Health." All of the projects presented during the oral presentations had some emphasis on Internet, but I believe mine was the only project to create a research methodology and do field work. All the others that I learned about had a more theoretical emphasis, and some were broad reviews of literature and propositions of future research.

I thought that my project was well received, though there wasn't enough time to have a discussion. The event was a bit rushed, so some people were not able to explain their projects as clearly as I would have liked.

I'm happy to say that I didn't stumble too much on my Portuguese, and I do believe everyone was able to understand me--- it's hard when the language is not your first, and you need to be careful about what you say in a formal setting. Unlike English, where I can easily correct what I'm saying mid-phrase, Portuguese takes a bit longer, and during proposed speeches it is much easier to have the sentences written down.

Oh(!)- and another Fulbrighter was able to sit in on my presentation, which was very nice.

Espirito Santa.

I'm super excited to tell you about this restaurant because I think it might be one of my favorite ones (if not my favorite) in Rio. It's a charming little place in Santa Teresa, and every time I've been, I've been nothing less than very satisfied. The restaurant focuses on Brazilian foods-- which is a general, sort-of unhelpful term, but unlike other traditional Brazilian restaurants (where rice, beans, and beef are the staple dishes), this one has plates from Salvador, Belem, Manuas, and the like.

There's also a selection of juices from the Northeast, which can be a bit tricky to find in Rio. I like tapereba and cupuacu.

http://www.espiritosanta.com.br/novosite/

comida de buteco!

Friday started the festival of the Comida de Buteco (or bar food, more directly put) all around the city of Rio. I'm looking forward to it-- all the traditional and somewhat noteworthy bars around the area offer interesting bar food and live music for the next month. I've had a list of places I've wanted to visit-- traditional bars, and the like-- and I think this is the perfect month for checking all of this out.

Restaurant Week is also coming up in Rio, and I'm excited about this one too....

Check out more information here:

http://www.comidadibuteco.com.br/

vezpa.

there's a late night pizza joint in Leblon that seems to be open all the time-- it's sells slices fresh from the oven, for give-or-take 5 reais. It seems to be the spot everyone hits up after an early evening party, before heading out to party, or even coming back in, in the "madrugada" (twilight hours). i went yesterday with some friends and had a slice of the vezpa (made with their homemade "pimenta" source) and quarto queijos (four cheeses). i'd have to say the latter was delicious, and reminded me of being in nyc all over again-- granted the pizza isn't as authentic, but nearly seven months away from a good slice of pie.... vezpa did the job.

Ilha Grande.

(this guy started dancing like crazy to music from monobloco)

This past weekend I went with a Brazilian friend to Ilha Grande, the much-famed, much-talked-about island off the coast of the Costa Verde. You have to take a bus (or two) and a boat to get to the island, and if I wasn't already so used to this process from Buzios to Floripa, I would say it was the cutest thing ever. But for some reason, I've become quite accostomed to the idea of grabbing a fisherman boat or the like, heading out for an hour or so to god-knows-where, and ending up in some sort of paradise. You could say I'm becoming a Brazilian, because it's becoming a bit of a routine.

We stayed in Abrao, because it was easy and cheap and we didn't have the necessary equipment to go camping. But we went to Lopes Mendes, a magical sort of beach (but has nothing on Ilha da Campeche in Floripa) and kayaked for a few hours along the coast of the island.

It's a great trip-- if not tiring-- but you can spend the whole day laying in the sand. There's lots of cute little restaurants and pousadas (ours served a delicious banana cake with chocolate icing for breakfast-- plus loads of passionfruit, mango, and pineapple juice) waiting for you when you return from bliss. I recommend grabbing a pastry or two from the carts that are parked on the sides of the streets-- they sell everything from brigadeiros to cuscuz, torta de limao, to pave. I grabbed some sort of italian bar made with chocolate and nuts that wasn't too sweet, and a cuscuz made with corn.

getting ready for ABRASCO.

My research has essentially been finished, and I'm wrapping up my oral presentation that I was selected to give at the ABRASCO conference next week, in Sao Paulo. It's my first time I'll be presenting at a research conference AND it'll be completely in Portuguese.

It's a 15 minute presentation, and I'll be talking about my research and my findings. I'll be sure to post a brief about my results on this blog as well.

bip bip.

there's a bar in Copacabana called bip bip that has a roda da samba (musicians playing samba music) every Tuesday. I headed there after dinner with a friend yesterday, and was suprised (but not unpleasantly so) to hear chorinho (choro, or music played with brasilian instruments). It was a lovely way to end the evening. The tradition has been going on for years, so it's something that you can (hopefully) count staying around in the future.

living near a university...

or three is amazing. there's always shows and concerts. right now there's (what i think) a student band playing in the plaza at UFRJ. they're pretty good too.

broinha de milho.

I've started rowing in Lagoa, and I've also started a (somewhat) dangerous habit of buying a few (ok, three) broinhas de milho and a suco (I've been slacking on trying all the juices, so I've incorporated it into my breakfast). Broinhas de milho (or broa de milho) are these little breads that look like muffin tops. They're made with corn, and flecked with fennel seeds. The best ones are a bit sweet, and not too oily. I've found that the bakery on Vincius de Morais and Visconde de Piraja makes them best (of the ones I've tried so far). They're a little crunchy, a little soft, a little warm. Mega Matte also makes them pretty well, but they can be oily, so I try not to get them from there too often.

place in centro.

bar in laranjeiras.

There's this great bar in Laranjeiras that's located on the morro, and you get this fantastic view of the high rises in Rio, and the morros of Rio. I went with my apartment-mate to a birthday party of one of her friends, and there was music playing in the streets, and a churrasco going on in a local playground. You can get there by cab or by bus, but by bus you're going to have to walk up the hill. To get back down, you end up climbing a set of stairs that puts you smack dab on Rua de Laranjeiras.

cute place in catete.

check out this bar in catete. it's in the middle of nowhere, on this hill that leads up to one of the many morros of rio. the bar was absolutely lovely, lined with old beer bottles and a vintage cash register. i wish i could tell you the name, or where it is, but unfortunately, i've got nothing. i'll update the blog if i ever find out.

rowing in lagoa.

Today, I took my first rowing (crew) lesson at Lagoa. It kills me that I waited till this long to actually go out and row, considering I've known about it since I first got here, but I finally got a friend who was a bit more ambitious about finding the clubs to get excited about it, and I went with her yesterday to try it out (and today, my first lesson).

I never did crew in high school or college-- which is a shame, because my body is made for it-- but rowing out in Lagoa is absolutely fabulous. You just can't get sick of the views-- the Christ, wisps of Jardim Botanico, the skyline buildings on Av. E Passoa... and of course the funky duck boats that have tourists and Cariocas alike inside them.

I am pretty sure I'm going to join the Botafogo club, just because it's the closest one to where I live (and by close, I mean it takes about an hour by bike to get there). That being said, it's worth the trek. If you have enough time, it's a fantastic way to stay in shape, take in the great views of the city, and enjoy one of the wonders of Rio that's hard to get anywhere else.

metro prices...

are going up this month. eeekkkkk. and the cabs have gone up this month; i'm paying an average of 2 reais more... AND the vans have gone up. my regular van to fiocruz now costs 3 reais instead of 2.50.

Stand up Paddle Surf.

Stand up Paddle Surf (or SUP) is a pretty popular activity in the US, but since I live near a freezing cold beach, I figured Rio would be the perfect place to try it out. It's pretty hilarious, I'm not totally sure I would love to pick it up as a sport, but, (en fim), it was well worth the lesson. You can find classes at Copacabana, near the Forte (there's a little tent and just walk towards the boards), or in Barra.

Here's the contact information for the lesson I took:

SUP Copa: Posto 6 - Copacabana Rio de Janeiro - RJ, 22070-002

(21) 7887-6247

(21) 9828-2566

ID Nextel: 98*26468.

Sabado em Laranjeiras

There's a chorinho that happens every Saturday in Laranjeiras. It's the perfect spot to grab a pastel and a caldo de cana, and listen to some wonderful Brazilian music. There's a tent to buy a caipirinha or some beer, but I was happy with my juice listening to music for a good couple hours.

Tacaca Acai.

There's a restaurant (really, a lanchonette) on Rua Barao do Flamengo that sells what everyone in the news world claims the "best acai in Rio." I tried it, and I don't know if I would agree (I happen to think that the acai at Amazonia Soul in General Osorio is pretty good) I do think that their acai ice cream is absolutely delicious. It's pretty pricey, at BRL 8 per scoop, but the scoop is actually a 200 mL cup filed with the stuff. It's incredibly refreshing, and I've made it my dinner on more than one occasion.

Try it out-- and check out their other typical foods of Belem. I'd like to go back and try the regional food as well, when time allows.

Address: Tacaca do Norte, Barão do flamengo, no. 35

Celeiro.

It's a bit like Whole Foods, but Celeiro is supposedly the best place in Rio to get the best salad, according to Veja Rio, the magazine that puts out annual ratings of all the restaurants in Rio.

I went there after an incredibly long bike ride one day, to check it out. At 100 reais per kilo, it's super expensive-- you'll be happy to make out with less that R$30 worth of food on your plate. The salads are pretty interesting, but there not that much different from what you can find in the US, at Whole Foods. I won't be back, but the visit reminded me how much better it is in the US to find good quality, cheap food when eating out. People in the United States complain about prices, but they haven't lived in Rio.

Evidina.

If you're looking for a place that seems to be the exact OPPOSITE of Rio (think refined, tea, pearls), then head to Evidina in Leblon. It's a parlor that sells chocolates, tea, and yummy ice cream. I had a brownie with ice cream for lunch there after a bike ride to Leblon.

The church in Pena.

When I first arrived to Brazil, on my way to Zona Sul to my apartment in Copacabana, I saw this beautiful white church on this desolate hill in the middle of--what I now know-- is Zona Norte. I was informed that the church was the Church of Pena, and I noted it as something that I would have to go see before I left.

Months passed, and of course I never made it to the church. But last week-- by coincidence-- I happened to be working and observing at a Clinica Familia de Saude in the very neighborhood where the church is located. On my lunch break, I went to the top. It's pretty easy to get to the church-- just take the metro to Central, and catch a train to Pena. From there, just walk through the tiny downtown towards the Clinica and you'll see the entrance-- there's a small circus with a ferris wheel and the like at the bottom. You can grab a motorcycle ride to the foot of the church, or just walk it-- it's a breezy 15 minutes that is in the most picturesque road. Once you get to the foot of the church, you can walk to the top, or take the bondinho-- it's a cute little cable car that takes you to the top in 2 minutes tops. I walked the steps to the top, and took the ride back down.

The views are magnificent, as you can tell, and there's a wonderful little per-kilo restaurant that may be the cheapest place I've ever eaten. 14 reais per kilo!

Try to go on a clear day, and you can catch a glimpse of the Pao de Acucar and the Christo.

Six months-slash-last third.

Well, it's been six months, and time is flying. I can't believe I'm entering the last third of my grant.

I took a look at the posts I wrote when I first arrived, and it's weird to think how much I've changed in the past six months. I've learned another language, dealt with cultural differences, figured out how to complete my research, and faced the everyday problems that you encounter when you live in another country. My tastes and preferences are constantly changing, and I can feel this too.

It's also interesting to see how a whole world is slowly opening up to me here in Rio, as I find more things to do and places to see. Knowing Portuguese and being able to communicate with people really makes a difference-- I've made new friends sitting at the beach in Arpoador, waiting in line to get to an art gallery, going to dinners of friends of friends, standing outside a bar drinking choppe with my roommate.

I'm trying to think back to my major goals (personal and research-oriented) that I wanted to achieve before I left Brazil. In some ways, I'm far from completing them, but in other ways, I've made some immense progress. I've finished my field research and analyzed my date. I'm going to be able to present my work at a national conference in Brazil. I live with a Carioca. I'm constantly improving my language. I'm learning to surf. I row. I longboard. I own a bike.

I hope that I can keep these aspects of my life and these perspectives I'm gaining when I'm back in the United States. But for now, I'm going to keep enjoying every second and minute of my time here-- it's essential that I leave my Fulbright without regrets.

Pedra do Sal.

Every Monday and Wednesday, in Gamboa (but really Saude), there's a roda de samba. It's a pretty lively event, I went this past Monday, with people sprawled out in this tiny little nook of a street that has staircases made of stone that wind up into the sky. You can grab a beer (they were selling cans that still had the mark of Carnaval on them) and find a place to sit-- or-- dance. It's quite touristy, which I expected, considering it's the most well known roda de samba, but it's worth the visit, if not to see a different part of the city, away from Zona Sul.

cuscuz.

Yesterday, my roommate took me to Prainha, Grumari, and Macumba-- a set of coastline and beaches past Recreio, the farthest "town" per-se, after the major neighborhoods of Ipanema, Leblon, Sao Conrado, and finally, Barra.

The beaches were beautiful, and I'll have to have a separate post of pictures just for that, but there was this little old man sitting by the parking lot in Prainha selling cuscuz, the Bahian sweet that I never got to try in Bahia.

A sort of dessert bar made from tapioca flour, milk, coconut, salt and sugar-- it's delicious, especially when served with leite condensado (condensed milk) drizzled on top. It's not too sweet, a small slice is sufficient to feel satisfied.

Here's the recipe for making it; I've got to save it (along with many others) for when I head back to the United States. It's right up there with avocado smoothies, passionfruit mousse, and doce de leite.

Receita:

1 pack of tapioca flour
1 shredded coconut
3.5 cups of milk
2 tablespoons of sugar
pinch of sal

Place in a bowl: coconut, tapioca flour, salt and sugar.

Add to the mixture, boiling milk.

Stir until all combined.

Pour mixture into a pan (wet the pan before with cold water).

Smooth surface with a spoon.

Cover the pan and wrap with a cloth for 3 hours.

Serve cold or at room temperature.

Top with shredded coconut and condensed milk, drizzled.

danoninho.

I tried this yogurt/cheese type food the other day-- it seems to be pretty popular in Brazil. It seems like it's yogurt.

Capoeira.

For about a month, I tried my hand at Capoeira Angola, one of the two types of capoeria most taught in Brazil. Angola can be defined by the slower movements, the more "joga" or game that is played between the two participants, and the pace of the music (also slower). I've never really played Capoeira before, and having a little taste of it was pretty fun. The movements are pretty jarring-- they say Angola is much prettier than Regional (the other type) but for someone who's done ballet, modern, and the like for a majority of her life-- the movements seemed pretty rough to me. I did get to try out the berimbau, which was loads of fun-- and play the tambourine.

They offer capoeira classes all over the city, but I took mine at a school of dance in Botafogo (Escola de Danca Angel Vianna). It wasn't too expensive, and there were just two students in the class-- me and another woman. If you're looking to try out capoeira, I'd suggest trying both styles before committing to one. I have a feeling there's going to be one style you prefer over another.